Updated 20 February 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors.
Service and service type: The service is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection: This inspection was unannounced.
What we did: Prior to the inspection, we checked all the information we had received about the service. Due to technical problems, the provider was not able to complete a Provider Information Return. This 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 took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
We contacted the local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams and the local Healthwatch. Healthwatch are a consumer champion in health and care. They ensure the voice of the consumer is heard by those who commission, deliver and regulate health and care services.
During the inspection we spoke with eight people who used the service and five relatives. We also 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 the registered manager, a quality assurance manager employed by the provider, clinical lead, two care staff, activity coordinator, the cook and a maintenance worker.
We reviewed a range of care records for 14 people. We looked at three staff personnel files, two staff training records in addition to a range of records in relation to the safety and management of the service. We also spoke with three visiting healthcare professionals. After the inspection the regional manager sent us further information which we had requested.