Archived: Cardinal Heenan House

Updated 23 March 2021

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 10 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 23 March 2021

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

The care home accommodates up to 32 older people in one adapted building. The service is also registered to accommodate people who are living with dementia. There were 27 people living in the home when we inspected.

This was an unannounced inspection that took place on 9 October 2018. The service was last inspected in June 2016 when there were no breaches in regulation seen and the home was rated as ‘Good’. At this inspection we found the service remained ‘Good’. There was no evidence or information from our inspection or on-going 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 our last inspection.

At the time of this inspection a registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The service has continued to sustain a good standard of care and support for those who lived at the home. The trustees of the company, the management and staff team were constantly striving to improve the service and this is demonstrated by their commitment towards those who live at Cardinal Heenen. The management team had introduced impressive digital technology systems, in order to provide a better quality of life for those who were living with dementia.

People were able to live as they chose and this philosophy was clearly embedded within the visions and values of the service. Staff had a good understanding of people's needs and were able to provide person centred care in a compassionate and dignified way, which enabled people to receive the support they needed in the way they preferred.

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.

There was clear evidence of a solid management structure and a dedicated team approach, which continued to drive the service forward, in order to provide a good standard of care and support. Staff who had shown particular interests in specific areas, such as infection control, falls prevention, dementia and dignity were designated 'Champions'. These champions continued to play an essential role in developing best practice, sharing learning and acting as role models for other staff.

People who lived at Cardinal Heenan told us they felt safe living at the home. Medicines were being appropriately managed and we found the environment to be clean, well maintained and safe for people to live in. Risk assessments had been conducted where necessary and staff we spoke with were confident to report any concerns about people’s safety to the appropriate authorities.

Recruitment practices were robust and new staff were guided through an induction programme, followed by regular mandatory training modules throughout their employment. This helped to ensure the staff team had the right skills and knowledge to provide support and were suitable to work with this vulnerable client group.

There were sufficient staff on duty, who were kind and caring and had developed good relationships with people who used the service. We saw that people looked comfortable in the presence of staff members and seemed relaxed within their environment.

People were assisted in a gentle and supportive way. A range of specialised equipment was provided to encourage independence, as far as possible. A lot of consideration and thought had gone into the decoration and design of the internal premises. The overall effect created was a homely and peaceful environment for people to live in. Staff we spoke with all told us they were happy working at the home.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.