Archived: Seven Gables

Updated 21 July 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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

The inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type

Seven Gables is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. [Care home name] is a care home [with/without] nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection, including notifications. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us. We received feedback from the local authority and external professionals who work with the service.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service about their experience of the care provided and three relatives. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, a senior manager, senior care staff, care staff and domestic staff. We received feedback from three external professionals.

We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and all staff records in relation to training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including safeguarding, quality assurance records, policies and procedures were reviewed.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We sought feedback from external health professionals and reviewed a recent report by Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

Updated 21 July 2022

About the service

Seven Gables is a residential care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Seven Gables is registered to provide care for up to 25 people, including people living with mental health needs and dementia. At the time of the inspection, there were 12 people living at the service.

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

People told us they felt safe and cared for living at Seven Gables. We found improvements had been made and sustained, which meant people received safe care from a staff team that knew them well.

Staff had received training in safeguarding and understood their responsibilities. People were protected from abuse and there was an open culture, where staff supported people to have regular conversations where they could express any concerns.

Medicines were managed safely by trained and competent staff. Medication administration records (MARs) were fully completed and regularly audited to identify any areas for development and improvement. Staff had access to medicines policies and procedures as well as best practice guidelines.

Recruitment practices were safe and there were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs. Quality assurance processes were robust, risks to people and the environment had been assessed and work was being carried out where action had been identified as being required. People had access to appropriate equipment where needed.

Infection, prevention and control processes and up to date policies were in place. The provider, registered manager and staff adhered to the latest government guidance in relation to infection, prevention and control.

Based on our review of safe and well led we found 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.

Staff worked well as a team and had developed positive relationships with people and knew them well. People, their relatives and external professionals told us the staff were caring and knowledgeable.

The registered manager understood their regulatory responsibilities and shared information with

stakeholders in a timely way. People, their relatives, staff and external professionals told us the registered manager was knowledgeable and supportive, which meant the home was well led.

The provider and registered manager had systems and processes to monitor safety and quality within the home and were committed to ongoing development.

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 inadequate (published 19 January 2022).

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.

This service has been in Special Measures since 30 September 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service between 27 August and 2 September 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, risk management, staffing, recruitment, dignity and governance.

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 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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from Inadequate 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 Seven Gables on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.