New Milton House Residential Care Home

Updated 20 May 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.

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

An inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

New Milton House 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. New Milton House 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced on both days.

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 and 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 5 people who used the service about their experience of the care provided as well as 5 relatives. We spoke with 17 members of staff including the area manager, manager, deputy manager, care team leader, care workers and ancillary staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people’s care records, risk assessments and medication records. We looked at 4 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. 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.

After the inspection

We looked at various documents and continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence.

Updated 20 May 2023

About the service

New Milton House is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 39 people. The service provides support to older people and those living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 36 people using the service. It accommodates 39 people in one purpose built building.

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

People received safe care. People and relatives told us that New Milton House created a safe environment with staff demonstrating kindness and respect. Medication was safely managed, and those risks people faced in their daily lives were acknowledged and reviewed regularly.

The environment was clean, hygienic and well maintained. Medication systems were safe and staff responsible for administering medication had been trained to do so and had had their competency assessed.

Staff were trained in their role and received supervision to ensure good care practice was being provided. People’s nutritional needs were met, with particular attention paid to those who faced risks of malnutrition. The environment enabled people to mobilise freely both inside and outside and provided signage aiding people’s orientation.

People were supported in a caring and dignified manner with particular attention paid to respecting their wishes and preferences.

Work had been done to ensure information was presented to people in a person-centred way. Peoples’ support was reinforced by personalised care plans. Where people had reached the end of their lives; attention was paid to ensure that people experienced a dignified death and that relatives were supported.

Managerial oversight was effective with all stakeholders being involved in expressing their views about the overall quality of the service being provided. Effective quality monitoring systems were in place and when action was needed; steps were taken in a timely manner.

Staff, people and relatives were complimentary about the management team. They were approachable, supportive and informative and had created a culture of effective teamwork which people using the service benefitted from.

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.

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 requires improvement (published 28 March 2019).

At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

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.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for New Milton House 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.