Alicia Nursing Home

Updated 2 November 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 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.

Service and service type

Alicia Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Alicia Nursing Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 13 people who used the service and 8 relatives. We spoke with 9 staff and received further written feedback from 5 staff, including the registered manager, nominated individual, quality manager, nurses, care staff and ancillary staff. We looked at a range of records relating to the management of the service including quality monitoring records, staffing documentation and policy documents relating to areas such as infection control, medicines management and safeguarding people from harm.

Updated 2 November 2023

About the service

This report contains information about 2 different properties that are registered at the same location. They are Alicia Nursing Home and Atwell House.

Alicia Nursing Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and nursing care to up to 61 people across 2 buildings. The service provides support to older people, people living with dementia and people with a mental health diagnosis. At the time of our inspection only 1 building was in use, there were 34 people using the service.

Atwell House is a residential care home providing accommodation and nursing care to up to 7 people. The service provides support to people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 6 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support: People were at risk of harm because risks were not always fully assessed. Risks in relation to the environment, medical equipment and medicines were not always managed safely. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Right Care: Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. People’s needs were assessed, and their care regularly reviewed. People were treated with kindness, dignity, and respect. We observed positive interactions between people and staff. The provider worked in partnership with other professionals.

Right Culture: Audits and checks were not always effective to ensure quality of records and minimise risks. Feedback was gathered through questionnaires and meetings, however the action taken from this feedback was not always communicated. Feedback was overall positive about the management of the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 27 October 2017)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Alicia Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement and recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to equipment safety and governance systems at this inspection.

We have made recommendations around recruitment processes, medicines, and least restrictive practices.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.