Heathcote Care Home

Updated 9 March 2023

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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Heathcote Care Home 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. Heathcote Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post and a home manager. The home manager worked closely with the registered manager and had started the application process for registered manager to CQC.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority quality improvement and safeguarding teams 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 4 people who used the service and 5 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 8 members of staff including the registered manager, manager, team leader, activity staff and care assistants. We received feedback from health and social care professionals who work with the home. 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 reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people's care records and 3 medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 9 March 2023

About the service

Heathcote Care Home is a residential care home registered to provide care and support to up to 17 people. The service provides support to people who are living with dementia or other mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were 16 people living at the home and receiving care.

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

People were safe with the care they received at Heathcote Care Home, there were enough staff on duty to meet people’s individual needs. We have made a recommendation about staff recruitment processes and the oversight of the home. The registered manager and manager immediately sought to rectify the shortfalls found during the inspection.

People's risks were assessed, staff knew people well. However, instructions for staff to reduce risks were not always clear. The manager immediately sought to develop the assessments to be clearer. Accidents and incidents were recorded and analysed to ensure lessons were learnt and discussed. 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.

People received their medicines as prescribed and there were safe practices in place. Infection prevention and control procedures were robust and additional practices were in place to protect against COVID-19 including up to date guidance and policies. The home worked well with external professionals and sought their input as needed. Heathcote Care Home had a good reputation amongst professionals working with them.

Staff knew to report concerns under safeguarding and the registered manager understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. Staff were confident the management team would follow up on concerns raised. Staff felt appreciated and supported and were proud to work at Heathcote Care Home. People's views were actively sought. The registered manager and manager understood the importance of their role and had made all notifications to CQC as required by law.

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 good (published 25 May 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Follow up

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