Mewsbrook House

Updated 16 March 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 completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Mewsbrook House 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. Mewsbrook House 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. 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 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 used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke with people, relatives and staff and gathered information relating to the management of the service. We reviewed a range of records. This included 12 care plans. We spoke with 5 people living at the service and 1 visiting relative. We also spoke with 7 members of staff, including the registered manager, a registered nurse, care staff, administration staff and ancillary staff.

Updated 16 March 2023

About the service

Mewsbrook House is a 'care home'. It is registered to provide care and accommodation, including nursing care, for up to 50 people and there were 46 people living at the home when we inspected. The service was providing care for a wide range of care needs including older persons, dementia, mental health, substance misuse and physical disabilities.

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

The required improvements had been made since the last inspection in respect to the environment of the service and acting on the outcomes of quality audits.

The provider had systems of quality assurance to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement. These systems also supported people to stay safe by assessing and mitigating risks, ensuring people were cared for in a person-centred way and the provider learned from any mistakes. Our own observations and the feedback we received supported this.

The environment of the service had been improved and was pleasant and enabled people to mobilise and orientate themselves around the service. Staff had received appropriate training and people received good care that met their needs and improved their wellbeing. The staff team were dedicated and enthusiastic.

People were happy with the care they received, felt relaxed with staff and told us they were treated with kindness. They said they felt safe, were well supported and there were enough staff to care for them. Our own observations supported this, and we saw friendly relationships had developed between people and staff. People enjoyed the food and the provider acted on their feedback in relation to how the service was run.

People received medicines safely. The service was clean, hygienic and a pleasant environment to spend time in. People’s care plans were up to date and accurately reflected their needs. People were able to receive visits from their relatives and there was a programme of activities to support their well-being.

Staff worked collaboratively with outside agencies such as the local authority and healthcare professionals. People were protected from harm and abuse, as staff knew how to safeguard people and what procedures they should follow. Complaints were responded to appropriately and people’s wishes at the end of their life were respected. People were able to express their views and had their dignity, independence and privacy promoted.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 31 December 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service, and to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

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.

Follow up

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