Archived: Ennis House

Updated 23 December 2020

The inspection

This was a targeted inspection to check on a specific concern we had about we had regarding complaints about the service.

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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

Ennis House 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 service was not required to have a registered manager therefore the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

There was a care manager who shared the responsibility for the day to day managing of the home.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short notice period of the inspection. This was because of the COVID-19 pandemic. We wanted to be sure that no-one at the home was displaying any symptoms of the virus and needed to know about the provider’s infection control procedures.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service and the service provider. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us 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 used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three staff and this included the care manager and deputy care manager. We observed people interacting with staff throughout the home. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We received feedback from three people’s relatives, three staff and one healthcare professional who visits the service.

Updated 23 December 2020

About the service

Ennis House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 40 people. It is made up of three houses that have been joined together. At the time of the inspection 34 people were living in two of the houses, with only two rooms used in 'Oakleigh' and the third house not in use.

People were living with a range of mental health needs or dementia. Some were independent and required minimal assistance, whilst other needed support with personal care and to move around the home safely.

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

People said they were comfortable and felt safe at Ennis House. Staff knew people very well, they understood their needs and how to provide the support people wanted. The ethos of the home was to provide person centred support and empower people to make decisions about their day to day lives.

Since the last inspection the quality assurance system had been reviewed and several audits had been introduced to monitor the services provided. These had identified areas where improvements were needed, and action had been taken to address them. However, additional work was needed to ensure that when the monitoring process found areas that may put people at risk, they were dealt with immediately, and that the improvements we have seen since the last inspection are embedded into day to day practice. For example, the debris that had accumulated in the garden and adjoining building.

The safeguarding policy had been updated, staff had attended relevant training and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns. Audits had been used to identify any trends or themes for accidents or incidents, to reduce the risk of them re-occurring, and action had been taken to reduce the risk of infection.

Induction training had been developed in readiness to support new staff. There was ongoing training and supervision to ensure staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities, and they developed the skills and understanding to provide the support people wanted and needed.

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. Mental capacity assessments had been completed in relation to decisions regarding people’s care and staff understood Deprivation of Liberties Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations, and applications had been made in people’s best interests.

People were supported to eat a healthy diet and access health services when they needed them. A range of activities were offered, based on people’s preferences and choices and people were supported to decide how and where they spent their time.

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 with six breaches of regulation and we took enforcement action (Published 29 May 2019). 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

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.