Cambridge Nursing Home

Updated 26 February 2022

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 care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 9 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection.

Updated 26 February 2022

About the service:

Cambridge Nursing Home is a care home that provides accommodation, personal and nursing care to 47 people. The service specialises in supporting people living with dementia and a physical disability, older people and younger adults.

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

People who used the service were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had taken steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. Risks to people had been assessed and identified as part of the care planning process. Staff recruitment process was robust. The provider employed sufficient staff so that they did not have to use agency staff. Medicines were given to people as prescribed, however, improvements were needed in ensuring medicines were in date and staff signed when witnessing medicines being administered to people. The provider had a system in place to record and monitor accidents and incidents. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection.

People’s needs were assessed, and care and support were planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan. There was an on-going training programme for staff to ensure they were kept up to date and aware of current good practice. People were supported to access medical support from healthcare professionals to ensure their health and wellbeing was maintained. Staff supported people to eat and drink sufficient quantities. 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.

People and their relatives commented staff were kind and compassionate and respected people’s privacy and dignity. Records confirmed people’s preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people’s wishes. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and to do as much as they could for themselves. The importance of confidentiality was understood and respected by staff.

Care plans were personalised and provided staff with sufficient information to provide care to an appropriate level. Regular reviews of people’s care took place. People and their relatives were involved in the planning of their care and had access to activities to protect them from social isolation. The provider had a policy and procedure for dealing with any concerns or complaints. People had their end of life wishes discussed and recorded. This helped to ensure they receive the care and support when approaching the end of their lives.

There was an open and inclusive culture in the service, with staff, people, relatives and other external professionals encouraged to help improve the service provided to people. People and their relatives felt the management team was approachable and friendly. The quality of the service was monitored regularly through audit checks and receiving people’s feedback. The registered manager worked closely with other external organisations to ensure people's needs were met.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated requires improvement (published 24 November 2018).

Previous breaches:

Following the last inspection, we found that the service was in breach of four regulations in relation to dignity and respect, need for consent, safe care and treatment and good governance. We asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider is 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 intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.