Valley View Care Home Ltd

Updated 15 September 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

This inspection was carried out by 2 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.

Service and service type

Valley View Care Home Ltd 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. Valley View Care Home Ltd 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, including monthly reports submitted by the provider. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We requested feedback from the local Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

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 6 people who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We observed staff interactions with people and their care and support in communal areas. We spoke with 11 members of staff including the nominated individual, the registered manager, nurses, senior care workers, care workers and kitchen staff. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 8 people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 2 files in relation to staff recruitment, and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 15 September 2023

About the service

Valley View Care Home Ltd is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to a maximum of 33 people. The service provides support to people who have care needs, such as, diabetes, epilepsy, Parkinson’s disease. Some people were living with dementia or had deteriorating mobility. At the time of our inspection there were 23 people using the service.

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

Although improvements had been made to the identification and mitigation of individual risk, further improvement was ongoing to ensure people’s safety.

There were improvements to how people were supported to make decisions and choices, however, people were still not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.

The provider had introduced new monitoring systems since the last inspection however; these were not always robust and required further improvement to make sure people received safe and good quality care. Monitoring systems introduced since the last inspection were not always robust to make sure people received safe and good quality care.

Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to keeping people safe, they felt confident in raising concerns. People could be assured their prescribed medicines were now managed better by staff. Staffing levels had improved, and safe staff recruitment practices continued to be in place. The levels of agency staff had reduced and the agency staff supporting people now were regular agency staff who were treated as part of the team. The management of fire safety had improved, staff had completed fire evacuation drills more regularly.

Staff continued to complete their training and the provider had a system to check this. Staff said they felt well supported. People received better care with their health needs and the advice of healthcare staff was now followed. People were happy with the food provided, and their meals, and told us they could choose other options if they wished.

Staff culture had improved, no staff reported concerns of bullying as they had at the previous 2 inspections. Staff said they felt listened to and were able to speak up if they needed to. Staff had only positive things to say about the provider and registered manager and were happy with the changes being made, such as the new electronic systems. The provider had engaged with people, relatives and staff, although improvements could be made around how they fed back the findings of surveys. The provider had submitted notifications to CQC as required since the last inspection.

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 inadequate (published 3 February 2023) and we found breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. The provider had previously been served with a notice to impose conditions on their registration which continued following the last inspection.

At this inspection we found the provider remained in breach of some regulations, however improvements had been made.

This service has been in Special Measures since 2 February 2023. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements.

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 inadequate to requires improvement. This is based on the findings at 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.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make further improvements. Please see the Safe, Effective and Well-led sections of this full report.

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

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to the assessment of risk, mental capacity, record keeping and governance at this inspection.

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

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.