Signature at Hendon Hall

Updated 21 July 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 2 adult social care inspectors, a nurse specialist advisor and 1 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

Signature at Hendon Hall 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. Signature at Hendon Hall is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service is dual registered and both providers are responsible for service delivery at the location. The providers are Redwood Tower UK Opco 1 Limited and Signature Senior Lifestyle Operations Ltd..

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

The inspection was unannounced. We visited the location’s service on 14 June 2023.

What we did before the inspection

Before our inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service which included statutory notifications and safeguarding and the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, the hospitality manager, the head chef, the activities supervisor, 4 care workers, and 1 nurse,. We also spoke to 8 people who used the service and 3 relatives. We spent time observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We looked at 8 people’s care records and 3 staff records including safe recruitment and supervision; we also looked at various documents relating to the management of the service.

Following our visit, we received further information from the registered manager, which included provider audits and survey results.

Updated 21 July 2023

About the service

Signature at Hendon Hall is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 102 people. The home consists of a variety of studio and one-bedroom apartments, all of which have ensuite facilities. Accommodation is provided over three floors and includes two units which specialise in providing care to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 45 people using the service.

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

People had access to healthcare services and were involved in decisions about their care. Partnerships with other agencies and health professionals enabled effective outcomes for people.

People's care was planned and risks to their safety and wellbeing were assessed. The service reviewed these plans regularly, involving people in these reviews and asking for their opinions.

Staff had completed safeguarding training and understood their role in identifying and reporting any concerns of potential abuse or poor practice. Medicines were managed safely.

People told us they enjoyed the range of food available and were referred to dieticians when required.

People and staff praised the managers of the service and agreed that they were approachable, knowledgeable, fair and did their job well. The staff team worked well together and supported the registered manager.

The staff team was committed to providing a high-quality service. They had undertaken training so that they were skilled and knowledgeable to effectively meet people’s needs.

Staff encouraged people to be as independent as possible and respected people’s privacy and dignity.

Staff consistently strived to ensure that people had the best possible care, and that they were supported in a compassionate, dignified and safe way

People were given choices about the way in which they were cared for. Staff listened to them and knew their needs well.

Care plans contained information about each person’s individual support needs and preferences in relation to their care and we found evidence of good outcomes for people.

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.

People knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy with the service. There were procedures in place to make sure people had access to end of life care and support if it was required

Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the service.

The managers of the service actively sought the views of people and their relatives about the running of the service and they dealt promptly with any concerns that people raised.

The provider had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided. There was a positive culture throughout the service. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the service and felt valued.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service is dual registered. It was registered with us on 21 January 2022 and 7 September 2022 and this is the first inspection. See the background section of this report for more information on dual registered services.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection of a newly registered 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.

Follow up

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