We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Gables Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about The Gables Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
The Gables Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 11 people who live with mental health issues, including both younger and older adults. At the time of the inspection there were 11 people using the service.
The home is a converted house in Bedlington Station. It has accommodation on the ground and first floor. There is no lift or stair lift to access the upper floor. There is a lounge area on the ground floor and a small dining room. People have access to shared bathroom and washing facilities and a shared laundry area. There is a secure courtyard area at the rear of the building where people can access the outside safely.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Improvements had been made to the service to help keep people safe. Changes had been made to the way infection risks were managed, including the risks associated with COVID-19. Improvements had been made to the management of people’s finances, promoting them to be more independent. Staff recruitment processes were robust and staffing levels had been reviewed and improved, particularly during the night shift, although these needed further review. We have made a recommendation about this.
People’s choices and individual needs were assessed and supported. Care plans followed the advice of key professionals. Staff training had been improved and there was evidence of an induction when new staff started at the service. People were supported to maintain their health and well-being and the service worked closely with a range of health professionals. People said they enjoyed the meals and were involved in setting menus and food preparation. Improvements had been made to the environment of the home, although further updating was required. We have made a recommendation about this.
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.
Care plans had improved and contained more detailed information about how people should be supported and encouraged to live as healthy lives as possible. People were involved in a range of activities and were encouraged to access the local community whilst following current COVID-19 guidance. Contact with family and friends was positively encouraged.
Improvements had been made to the management of the service and increased quality management and audit processes were in place. An overview of the service by the provider needed to be fully formalised. We have made a recommendation about this. People and staff were involved in decision making. The service worked in partnership with a range of professionals.
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 19 November 2020) and there were multiple breaches of regulations. 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 regulations.
Why we inspected
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 13 October 2020. Breaches of legal requirements were found.
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, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements.
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.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Gables Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
The Gables is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 10 people with mental health issues, including both younger and older adults. At the time of the inspection there were 10 people using the service.
The home is a converted house in Bedlington Station. It has accommodation on the ground and first floor. There is no lift or stair lift to access the upper floor. There is a lounge area on the ground floor and a small dining room. People have access to shared bathroom and washing facilities and a shared laundry area.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People were not always supported in a safe environment and staff were not following infection control guidance. Infection control issues that we had found at the previous inspection had not been fully addressed. Some staff continued not to follow the correct guidance on the use of personal protective equipment (PPE). Whilst some training on the use of PPE had been offered, there were no competency checks to ensure procedures were understood and being followed. Disposal of used PPE was not always carried out safely and in line with national guidance. The manager told us additional cleaning had been put in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19, including extra cleaning of high risk areas. However, records documenting this cleaning were not well completed and we were not assured that thorough cleaning was being undertaken. The provider had engaged a company to undertake a deep clean of the premises, although both people and staff said this clean had not been thorough.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection.
The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 19 November 2020).
The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection enough improvement had not been made and the provider was still in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted due to continued concerns received about infection control practices at the home. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
We undertook this targeted inspection to check on a specific concern we had about infection control. The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains requires improvement.
CQC have introduced targeted inspections to follow up on Warning Notices or to check specific concerns. They do not look at an entire key question, only the part of the key question we are specifically concerned about. Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection. This is because they do not assess all areas of a key question.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for The Gables Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified a breach in relation to Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Effective practices to keep people and staff safe during the current COVID-19 pandemic were not being followed. There continued to be concerns about cleanliness and infection control overall at the home.
Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections can be found in the enforcement section at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan for 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 return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
The Gables is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 10 people with mental health issues, including both younger and older adults. At the time of the inspection there were 10 people using the service.
The home is a converted house in Bedlington Station. It has accommodation on the ground and first floor. There is no lift or stair lift to access the upper floor. There is a lounge area on the ground floor and a small dining room. People have access to shared bathroom and washing facilities and a shared laundry area. There is a secure courtyard area at the rear of the building which contains a small hut that people can use for smoking.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were not always supported in a safe environment. Risks related to people’s care were not always well detailed or actions identified to mitigate risks. Infection control procedures were not robust and did not meet current recommendations. Staff recruitment processes were not robust and staffing levels were not regularly assessed or reviewed. Systems around supporting people to manage their finances required review. We have made a recommendation about this. People were supported to receive their medicines safely and appropriately.
People’s needs had not always been fully assessed or reviewed. Staff training was being reviewed and updated the manager was over seeing this. People told us they enjoyed the meals at the home and were able to suggest changes to the menu. They were assisted to attend health appointments and maintain their well-being. People were supported to have considerable 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 practice.
People told us they were well cared for and they enjoyed good relationships with the staff. They told us that staff respected their privacy and dignity. There was some evidence people were involved in making decisions about their care, although this was not always well recorded.
Care plans were not always up to date and did not contain the most recent advice from professionals. Reviews of care were not always detailed. People were supported to maintain relationships with friends and family and were able to participate in activities. Staff reminded people about safety procedures when accessing the community during the pandemic. There had been no formal complaints in the last 12 months, but people said they could raise any concerns with the manager or the provider.
The manager at the home was not formally registered with the CQC. There was no evidence on CQC systems to show an application process had been started. People and staff told us the manager had made improvements to the service. Some quality checks and audits were in place, although they were not robust and did not cover significant areas, such as infection control. There was no substantive oversight of the quality of care by the provider. Staff said they were well supported by the manager and were able to raise issues if they wished to.
We found breaches in regulation 9 (Person centred care); regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment); regulation 17 (Good governance) and regulation 18 (Staffing).
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 was registered with us on 1 August 2019 and this is the first inspection.
The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good (published on 27 May 2017.)
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to several areas of care at the home. We had also twice spoken to the manager whilst undertaking an Emergency Support Framework call (support call during the Covid-19 pandemic) and highlighted that the service required ongoing support. As a result, we undertook a comprehensive inspection to review all the key question areas.
The overall rating for the service is requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvement. Please see all sections of this full report. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report. The provider has taken some action to mitigate immediate risks at the home.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Gables Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Enforcement
We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.
We have identified breaches in relation to regulation 9 (Person centred care); regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment); regulation 17 (Good governance) and regulation 18 (Staffing). 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 return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.