Melton House

Updated 15 December 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

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

Consisted of three inspectors.

Service and service type

Melton 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced. We contacted the registered manager from outside the service to finalise arrangements for us to enter the premises, to maintain the safety of people living at the service, staff and the inspection team during the pandemic period.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and observed care and support provided in communal areas. We spoke with seven staff, including the registered manager, members of the provider team, care and ancillary staff. We looked at four people’s care and support records and six people’s medicine records and observed part of the morning medicines round. We looked at staff files as well as records relating to the management of the service, recruitment, policies, training and systems for monitoring quality.

After the inspection

We spoke with three relatives by telephone after the site visit. We provided final inspection feedback by conference call on 25 November 2020, with the registered manager and three members of the provider’s management team present.

Updated 15 December 2020

About the service

Melton House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 32 people aged 65 and over, some people were living with dementia, in one adapted building with bedrooms and communal facilities across two floors. At the time of the inspection there were 23 people living at the service, some staying for respite care.

People’s experience of using this service and what 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.

People received their medicines as prescribed, and were supported by staff to maintain their safety, levels of independence and well-being. Arrangements were in place to prevent social isolation, and maintaining people’s contact with their relatives during the pandemic period, including through the use of technology. People were supported to maintain good standards of personal presentation, and were living in a clean and well-maintained environment. People had a choice of meals and snacks to maintain their overall health.

There were sufficient numbers of trained staff, familiar with people’s individual needs and wishes to provide 24-hour care and support. People were supported to access medical input when required to keep them healthy. People and their relatives were encouraged to speak with staff and the registered manager if they had any concerns or wished to give feedback, which encouraged an open, and collaborative working culture within the service.

Rating at last inspection

The service was last inspected 20 May 2019, and was rated requires improvement, with recommendations made regarding areas of the service needing to be improved (published 11 September 2019). At this inspection we found sufficient improvements had been made in response to our recommendations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating, and in response to concerns identified at other locations under the same provider particularly in relation to infection prevention and control practices. We did not find evidence at this inspection to suggest any concerns in relation to infection control. Please see the safe, effective and well-led sections of this report for further details.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement 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 Melton House Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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