Archived: The Old Garden

The Old Garden is a care home, providing nursing and residential care for up to 40 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, there were 38 people living in the home.

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

Staff were aware of government guidance for COVID-19 testing and told us they completed tests as required. However, records of tests were not always robustly maintained. We made a recommendation about this in the main body of the report. The registered manager acted on this straight away and implemented new procedures to ensure all tests were completed and recorded. The home appeared to be clean. An infection prevention and control policy was in place and staff utilised PPE effectively. Regular checks were made on the building and the equipment to ensure it remained safe.

People told us they felt safe at The Old Garden. Staff were aware of safeguarding procedures and referrals had been made when needed. Risks to people had been assessed and measures were in place to mitigate identified risks. People were supported by staff who had been recruited safely and there were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs in a timely way. Medicines were managed safely by staff who had undertaken training and had their competency assessed.

People’s nutritional needs had been assessed and care plans informed staff of people’s needs and preferences and people told us these were met. Feedback regarding the quality and choice of food available was positive. People’s needs were assessed prior to them moving into the home and referrals were made to other professionals for advice when needed. People described instances when staff have provided support that has significantly improved their health and wellbeing.

Records showed that people’s consent to care was sought and recorded. 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 and their relatives were very complimentary about the care and support provided to people. People told us they were treated well, respected and had their dignity and privacy maintained. Relatives said they were able to relax knowing their family members were being well cared for.

People felt involved and chose how they spent their day. There were regular meetings so they could share their views of the service and make suggestions. Person centred plans were in place that were reviewed regularly. Staff told us they knew people well and how they wanted to be supported. A relative told us, “The care seems to be really very much centred around the person.”

People had been supported to maintain contact with their relatives throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. New equipment was purchased to facilitate video calls and regular newsletters shared to keep people informed. Staff were also supporting safe visiting within the home, as well as a range of activities and trips out in the minibus.

Feedback from people and their relatives regarding the management of the service was positive and everybody told us they would recommend the home to others. Staff told us they enjoyed their jobs and were well supported by the management team. The registered manager was aware of their responsibilities, worked with others to ensure people’s needs were met and had notified CQC of all reportable incidents. Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and these enabled the provider to maintain effective oversight of the service.

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 24 September 2019).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding to test the reliability of our new monitoring approach.

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 until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

The Old Garden is a care home, providing nursing and residential care to up to 40 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, there were 39 people living in the home.

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

People and their relatives told us they felt safe with the support provided by The Old Garden. One relative stated, “My relative is 100% safe here, we have peace of mind for the first time for years.” People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely. Staff were aware of safeguarding procedures and referrals had been made appropriately. Risks to people had been assessed and measures put in place to reduce identified risks.

Systems were in place to gain people’s consent to their care, but the recording of this information could be improved. 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. Applications to deprive people of their liberty had been made appropriately. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and met and feedback regarding meals was very positive. The home was well maintained, and adaptations had been made to ensure people’s needs and preferences were met.

Staff were well supported in their role and received regular training and supervisions. Staff had time to talk to people and provide care in a relaxed and caring way. People told us they were very happy with the care they received and were always treated with respect.

Detailed and personalised plans of care were in place that were reflective of people’s needs and had been reviewed regularly. People were supported to access activities both within the home and in the local community, and to maintain relationships that were important to them. Staff were aware of how best to communicate with people to ensure they were able to engage effectively. People knew how to raise any concerns or complaints they had.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and actions were taken based on the findings of these audits. People, staff and relatives were able to share their views to inform changes and improvements within the home. People told us they would recommend the home to others.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 2 August 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was undertaken in line with our inspection schedule for newly registered services.

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.