We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Manor Cottage on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about The Manor Cottage, you can give feedback on this service.
The Manor Cottage is a care home that provides personal care for up to 27 older people. The service is provided in accommodation over three floors. At the time of the inspection, 24 people were living at the home.
People's experience of using this service
The service was safe and risks to people were managed well. One relative told us, “The staff are amazing and should be proud of what they do to make residents and family feel so well looked after and safe”. Staff knew how to protect people from harm and had received safeguarding training. There were enough staff employed to help keep people safe and to meet their needs. Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks were completed before staff started work at the service. There were systems in place to ensure medicines were managed safely. Staff followed the providers infection control policy and procedure to limit the risks of cross infection.
The service was effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and support. The training programme equipped staff with essential skills and knowledge. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of the support they required. People received a healthy, balanced diet and their preferences were respected.
The service was exceptionally caring and put people at the heart of everything they did. One relative recently wrote, “I would like to say a massive thank you, you have shown so much care, compassion, dignity and love. A truly wonderful place with wonderful caring people”. We were introduced to people throughout our visit and they welcomed us. They were relaxed, comfortable and confident in their home. Staff had a very good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. They were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. Every effort was made to enhance this knowledge so that people’s life experiences remained meaningful.
A responsive service was provided to meet people’s health and social needs. They received person-centred care and support. Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals. The service supported people with end of life care with the support of other community health professionals. People were encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes.
People benefitted from a service that was very well led. The provider, area manager, registered manager, and staff team maintained a clear focus on continually seeking to improve the service people received. The provider told us, “The registered manager has grown in confidence and to see this has been wonderful. She advocates for the residents and is always striving for more. This sheer grit and determination is what drives her to continuously improve not just the home, but the lives of everyone who lives and works at Manor Cottage”. Everyone demonstrated strong values and, a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the service. Quality assurance systems were in place and based upon regular, scheduled audits, which identified any action required to make improvements. This meant the quality of service people received was monitored on a regular basis and, where shortfalls were identified they were acted upon.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at the last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published July 2017).
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.
The registered manager had left just prior to the inspection and a new manager had been deployed from one of the providers other homes where they had been working as a deputy. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. 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.
At our last comprehensive inspection in December 2015 the home was rated as good.
At this inspection we found the service had maintained an overall rating of good and they had been working hard to improve the service to provide some outstanding, kind, compassionate, care practices.
Why the service is rated good
People continued to receive a service that was safe. The manager and staff understood their role and responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. People were supported to take risks, promote their independence and follow their interests. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. There was enough staff to safely provide care and support to people. Checks were carried out on staff before they started work to assess their suitability to support vulnerable people. Medicines were well managed and people received their medicines as prescribed.
The service remained effective in meeting people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and the training needed to meet people’s needs. Arrangements were made for people to see a GP and other healthcare professionals when they needed to do so. The registered manager and staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and, worked to ensure people's rights were respected. People were supported to enjoy a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice.
We were introduced to people throughout our visits and they welcomed us. People were relaxed, comfortable and confident in their home. The feedback we received from people was positive throughout. Those people who used the service expressed great satisfaction and spoke highly of all staff. Comments received from relatives included; “It is a warm, clean comfortable home. The staff are always friendly and kind. They offer me lunch and drinks when I’m there. There are so many good things about the home” and, “The staff couldn’t do more for you, it’s an excellent home”.
Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. They were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. Every effort was made to enhance this knowledge so that their life experiences remained meaningful.
People were supported to maintain their personal interests and hobbies. It was evident that a person centred approach to care had been further enhanced since our previous inspection. One relative recently wrote in a survey, “Mum has always had excellent care and kindness shown to her. Staff go above and beyond the expected”.
The service was responsive to people’s needs. People received person centred care and support. Staff monitored and responded to changes in people’s needs. They were offered a range of activities both at the service and in the local community. People were encouraged to make their views known and the service responded by making changes.
People benefitted from a service that was well led. The provider, area manager, manager and staff team maintained a clear focus on continually seeking to improve the service people received. Comprehensive quality assurance systems were in place and based upon regular, scheduled audits which identified any action required to make improvements. This meant the quality of service people received was monitored on a regular basis and, where shortfalls were identified they were acted upon.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
This inspection took place on 4 December 2014 and was unannounced. There were no concerns at the last inspection of 5 August 2013.
The Manor Cottage provides accommodation for up to 26 older people. At the time of our visit there were 26 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.
People were very happy living at Manor Cottage and we received positive comments about their views and experiences throughout our visit. People felt safe because the staff were “caring and enjoyed what they did”. 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 the staff skill mix was effective.
Staff had the knowledge and skills they needed to carry out their roles effectively. They enjoyed attending training sessions and sharing what they had learnt with colleagues. The provider supported staff and the registered manager at all times.
People and their relatives told us staff were caring, kind and they “couldn’t fault them”. Staff had a good awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. It was very clear at the staff meeting we attended that all staff were truly committed to the people they supported. The registered manager and staff were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. Every effort was made to enhance this knowledge so that their life experiences remained meaningful.
People received appropriate care and support because there were effective systems in place to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate people's needs. People were involved throughout these processes. This ensured their needs were clearly identified and the support they received was meaningful and personalised. Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals and where necessary care and support had been changed to accurately reflect people's needs. People experienced a lifestyle which met their individual expectations, capacity and preferences.
Staff involved in this inspection demonstrated a genuine passion for the roles they performed and individual responsibilities. They really wanted to “get it right” and ensure that those living at the service were “happy and felt special”. Staff 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 improve these so that people felt empowered to make positive changes.
Some people remembered us from previous visits to the home and others understood when we told them why we were there. One person said 'I know that you are here to make sure we are looked after properly. I can tell you that it is just as good when you last visited, in fact its better'.
The manager was newly appointed this year and successfully registered with CQC in July 2013. It was evident that they were enjoying their role and with support from staff had made some positive significant changes since their appointment.
Essentially the manager had wanted to 'get to know people, their families and staff'. Besides meeting people individually and providing each staff member with a one to one session, the manager also helped serve breakfast every morning.
People who used the service shared positive comments with us throughout the day. Comments included, 'We have lovely staff I have been here a year and I cannot fault the home', 'We love visiting as soon as we arrived we knew this was the one' and 'All of us have learnt so much in the short time the manager has been here, I see subtle positive change'.
People were positive about their experiences of living in the home. Comments included,' I have a lovely life here and feel very settled', 'My room is excellent, I enjoy my own company but always join my friends for lunch' and 'The manager and staff are all super to me and I feel like this is my home'.
People were spending time in the lounges with visitors; some were enjoying the privacy of being in their own rooms whilst others were having their hair done in the homes salon.
We spent time in various parts of the home, including communal areas and individual bedrooms so that we could observe the direct care, attention and support that people received.
We spoke with and observed staff throughout our visit. They demonstrated good relationships with individuals and were knowledgeable about the care needs of those living in the home. Comments from staff included, "We all work together as a team and we want people to be happy and safe", "I think people are looked after well here and I enjoy coming to work" and "This is a lovely home and we all support people in what they want to do".
individually. We saw staff interacted in a caring way and people responded to this.