Background to this inspection
Updated
14 February 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.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector, a specialist advisor in nursing care and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type
Hartismere Place is a ‘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.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the home since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the home. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We observed the care and support provided and the interaction between people and staff throughout our inspection. We spoke with 14 people who lived in the home and nine relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the regional director, registered manager, deputy manager, six care staff including a nurse and senior carers.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We received feedback by e mail from 10 relatives, five care staff and two healthcare professionals.
Updated
14 February 2020
About the service
Hartismere Place is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 60 people aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection there were 54 people living in the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People benefitted from a service that was particularly well-led. The registered manager had been in post for six months and in that time had developed all aspects of the service. They were supported by a very pro-active provider team. The provider, registered manager, deputy and staff team maintained a clear focus on continually seeking to improve the service people received. Everyone demonstrated strong values and, a desire to learn about and implement best practice throughout the service. Good quality assurance systems were in place 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.
The service was very responsive to people's health and social care needs. The service was very open to using people’s life experiences to improve their care and social well-being. Care plans were regularly
reviewed and adjusted to take account of any changes in people’s care and support needs and health status. The nursing staff ensured referrals were made to appropriate health and social care professionals as needed. We received particularly positive feedback about how the service supported people and their relatives when providing care at the end of people’s lives.
People were able to participate in a range of meaningful activities that were based upon their activity profile. The staff took time to find out about people's life history, their occupation and interests and hobbies. People and their families were encouraged to make their views known and become involved in all aspects of the service.
People received a safe service. Staff received safeguarding training and knew what to do if they suspected people were at risk of harm. Other risks to people's health and welfare were well managed. Risks were assessed, and plans put in place to keep people safe. The number of staff on duty for each shift were based upon the collective care and support needs of each person in residence. This ensured the staff team could safely provide care and support to each person. Pre-recruitment checks ensured staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Medicines were well managed, and people received their medicines as prescribed. People were protected by the home’s infection control policy and procedures.
People received an effective service which met their care and support needs. Staff training ensured they had the relevant skills to meet people's care and support needs. Staff were regularly supervised to ensure they worked well. People had access to the healthcare support they needed. We received positive feedback from healthcare professionals.
We received positive feedback about the quality and choice of meals. We observed meals were a social experience. A variety of snacks and drinks were freely available throughout the day.
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 a service that was caring and centred around their specific needs and preferences. We observed people were relaxed and comfortable in their home. We received positive feedback from people relatives, staff and other professionals regarding the caring attitude of staff. The staff team had a good understanding of each person's individual needs. We observed people being treated in a warm and respectful manner by staff.
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 May 2019).
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 re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.