Cheverells Care Home

Updated 6 November 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.

The comprehensive inspection took place on 26 September 2018 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors 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.

Prior to the inspection, we reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). The PIR is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also reviewed other information about the service and notifications we had received. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We saw each person who lived at the service and had meaningful conversations with 11 people and two relatives, along with a visiting community nurse. We spoke with the providers, ten staff including team leaders, care staff, laundry staff, kitchen assistant and maintenance person.

We reviewed three people’s care records, looked at three staff files and reviewed records relating to the running of the service. These included: the most recent survey sent out; medicine records, audits; minutes of meetings; staff rotas; supervision and training records; safety and maintenance records; complaints and compliments, and activity records.

Following the inspection, we received responses from two health and social care professionals.

Updated 6 November 2018

This comprehensive inspection took place on 26 September 2018 and was unannounced.

Cheverells is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection.

Cheverells is registered with CQC to provide care for 38 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. Cheverells accommodates people in one spacious, adapted building in a residential area of Northam, Bideford. Access to the three floors of the building is via a platform lift, stair lifts and staircases throughout the home.

Cheverells was run as a family business with both the providers working in partnership with each other. One of them was the registered manager and the other was the ‘matron’ at the home.

At our last inspection in May 2016 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since out last inspection.

Why the service is rated good.

People were happy and enjoyed living at Cheverells. They told us staff were caring, kind and respectful to them. Relatives were also positive about the service and the care given; one said “They (providers and staff) welcomed us whole-heartedly and made (my relative) feel so at home straight away. And that’s how it’s been ever since.”

There had been a recent change in the running of the home with the introduction of a team leader role. This meant there was always a team leader on duty to support and guide staff. People said staff worked well together. Staff knew people well and had built positive relationships with them. People received care that was assessed, planned and delivered in an individualised way. Each person had a personalised care plan in place which documented how they would like their care to be given. Risks to people were identified and minimised as much as possible.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff supported people to stay safe by understanding how to recognise abuse and the correct procedure to take if they had any concerns. Staff were trained, knowledgeable and skilled in their roles. There was enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs fully. Staff received regular supervision and felt involved in the running of the home. They were motivated and enjoyed their jobs.

People received a balanced and nutritious diet and people were very complimentary of the food served. One person commented, “I can’t praise the home highly enough and the food is definitely included in that.”

The service provided an extremely clean, tidy and well-maintained home for people to live in. There was a large private garden for people to sit and relax in. People could access all areas of the home. People benefitted from continuous monitoring and improvements made in the home to make it better for people to live in.

The providers were visible in the home and worked alongside staff. People and staff spoke highly of them and their caring nature. They respected and valued the staff that worked for them. One person said, “It’s like a big family” and “The owners go to endless trouble over every aspect.”

Further information is in the detailed findings below.