Heathfield House Nursing Home

Updated 27 July 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 12 July 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we looked at information we held about the service. This included previous inspection reports and notifications we had received. Notifications are certain events that providers are required by law to tell us about. In addition, we contacted the local authority commissioners of services to obtain their views on the service.

We spoke with 12 people, four relatives, a visitor, three care staff, a nurse, the chef, the activities co-ordinator, the deputy manager and the registered manager. We also spoke with a visiting healthcare professional. During the inspection we looked at four people’s care plans, four staff files, medicine records and other records relating to the management of the service. We also contacted the local authority commissioner of services for their views.

Updated 27 July 2018

We undertook an unannounced inspection of Heathfield House Nursing Home on 12 July 2018. People in nursing homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service is registered to provide nursing care for up 40 to older people, many of whom have dementia. On the day of our inspection 32 people were living at the home.

At our last inspection in June 2017 we found people did not always receive their medicine as prescribed. Records relating the administration of medicines were not always accurate and some records relating to measures to reduce identified risks were not accurate or up to date. Risk management plans were not always in place. At this inspection we found significant improvements had been made.

Risk assessments were carried out and promoted positive risk taking, which enabled people to live their lives as they chose. People received their medicines safely. Records relating to risks and medicines were accurate and up to date.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were safe. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and staff had time to spend with people. People’s nutritional needs were met and staff supported people to maintain a healthy diet. Where people had specific dietary needs, these were met.

The service provided support in a caring way. Staff supported people with kindness and compassion and went the extra mile to provide support at a personal level. Staff knew people well, respected them as individuals and treated them with dignity whilst emotional support. People and their relatives, were fully involved in decisions about their care needs and the support they required to meet those individual needs.

There was a positive culture at the service that valued people, relatives and staff and promoted a caring ethos that put people at the forefront of everything they did.

People continued to receive effective care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them and meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the procedures in the service supported this practice. People were supported to access health professionals when needed and staff worked closely with people's GPs to ensure their health and well-being was monitored.

People had access to information about their care and staff supported people in their preferred method of communication.

The service continued to be responsive to people's needs and ensured people were supported in a personalised way. People's changing needs were responded to promptly. People had access to a variety of activities that met their individual needs.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and looked for continuous improvement. There was a clear vision to deliver high-quality care and support and promote a positive culture that was person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering which achieved good outcomes for people.