Archived: Andover Nursing Home

Updated 3 March 2017

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 was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The service was last inspected in January 2014 and at that time there were no breaches of regulations. Two adult social care inspectors, one bank inspector and one expert by experience carried out this inspection. 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 looked at information we had about the service. This information included the statutory notifications that the provider had sent to CQC. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

Before the inspection, we had asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they planned to make. We reviewed the information included in the PIR and used it to assist in our planning of the inspection.

Some people were able to talk with us about the service they received. We spoke with 26 people using the service. Not every person was able to express their views verbally. Therefore we carried out a Short Observational Framework for Inspection session (SOFI 2). SOFI 2 is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not tell us about their life in the home. We also spoke with seven relatives.

We spent time and spoke with the provider, registered manager, the estates and training officer, the deputy, seven nurses, the physiotherapist and six care staff. We also spoke with three activities staff, the head chef, one housekeeper and two business administrators. We looked at 15 people’s care records, together with other records relating to their care and the running of the service. This included the employment records for staff, policies and procedures relating to the delivery and management of the service and, audits and quality assurance reports.

Updated 3 March 2017

This inspection took place on 9 and 10 January 2017 and was unannounced. There were no concerns at the last inspection in January 2014. Andover Nursing Home is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care for up to 87 people. At the time of our visit there were 79 people living at the service.

There was a registered manager 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 feedback we received from people was positive throughout. Those people who used the service expressed great satisfaction and spoke highly of all staff and services provided. One relative told us, “The home is simply fantastic. It’s so friendly with a lovely atmosphere. I always look forward to visiting, from the pleasant greetings at reception and onwards. I cannot speak highly enough”.

Staff involved in the inspection demonstrated a genuine passion for the roles they performed and their individual responsibilities. Visions and plans for the future were understood and shared across the staff team. They embraced new initiatives with the support of the registered manager and colleagues. They continued to look at the needs of people who used the service and ways to make positive changes.

People experienced a lifestyle that met their individual expectations, capacity and preferences. There was a strong sense of empowering people wherever possible and, providing an environment where independence would be encouraged and celebrated. People’s health and well-being were paramount. One relative told us, “I think the attention my husband receives and the happiness here has allowed him to defy dying. We are having quality time together; it couldn’t get any better than that”.

The registered manager listened to people and staff to ensure there were enough staff to meet people's needs. They demonstrated their responsibilities in recognising changing circumstances within the service, and used a risk based approach to help ensure that staffing levels and skill mix was effective.

The safety of people who used the service was taken seriously. The registered manager and staff were aware of their responsibility to protect people’s health and wellbeing. There were systems in place to ensure that risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed. Staff were very highly motivated and proud of the service. They were fully supported by the registered manager and a programme of training and supervision enabled them to provide a high quality service to people.

The registered manager ensured that staff had a full understanding of people’s care needs and had the skills and knowledge to meet them. People received consistent support from staff who knew them well. People had positive relationships with staff and were confident in the service. There was a strong emphasis on key principles of care such as compassion, respect and dignity and promoting independence. People who used the service felt they were treated with kindness and said their privacy and dignity was always respected.

People received a service that was based on their personal needs and wishes. Changes in people’s needs were quickly identified and responded to. The service was flexible and responded very positively to people’s requests. People who used the service felt able to make requests and express their opinions and views.

The provider and registered manager were totally committed to continuous improvement. The registered manager and staff demonstrated strong values and, a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the service.

The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the importance of effective quality assurance systems. There were processes in place to monitor quality and understand the experiences of people who used the service.