The Valleys Care Home

Updated 16 June 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

The inspection was carried out by 3 inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience also spoke to relatives by telephone. 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

The Valleys Care Home 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. The Valleys 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.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service. 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 8 people who use the service and 11 relatives to ask about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, the operations manager, 2 senior carers, 6 care workers, the cook, an activities coordinator, housekeeping staff and 1 healthcare professional. We looked at 7 care files along with a range of medication administration records (MAR). We looked at other records relating to the management of the service including recruitment, staff training and supervision and systems for monitoring quality.

Updated 16 June 2023

About the service

The Valleys Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 84 people, including people living with dementia, mental health needs and physical disabilities. The service was supporting 69 people at the time of our inspection.

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

Systems were in place to record, store and receive medicines, However, information to support staff to safely administer medicines was not always available. We have made a recommendation about the safe management of medicines. Staff were trained and supported in their role to administer medicines.

People received the care and support they needed to be safe, however, staff were stretched at busy times of the day. We have made a recommendation the provider continues to monitor staffing levels within the service.

People had access to enough food and drink throughout the day. However, due to mealtimes occurring at the same time across all 4 units, people did not always receive support in a timely manner. We have made a recommendation about the deployment of staff at mealtimes.

The service was well managed and led. Audits and checks were used to monitor the service provided and support continuous improvements. The registered manager was aware of the inconsistencies of daily recording by staff and plans were in place to improve this. We have made a recommendation the provider continues to embed governance systems.

Recruitment systems were robust and ensured the right staff were recruited to keep people safe.

The service had effective safeguarding systems in place and concerns were managed promptly.

Risk assessments were person centred and contained enough information to guide staff in their practice. There was a culture of learning from accidents and incidents.

Infection prevention and control was managed well. Some areas of the home required decorating; however, the provider had an action plan in place outlining timescales for further re-furbishment and minor repairs.

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.

The provider and the registered manager were passionate and enthusiastic about promoting person-centred care. They had an improvement plan in place to monitor quality. The culture of the service was positive, and staff felt supported. Feedback from people and relatives was positive.

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 30 May 2022) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

At our last inspection we recommended the provider reviews their systems and processes for reporting safeguarding concerns, calculating staffing levels and staff training and supervision. We also recommended the provider reviewed how activities were provided to ensure there was equality for all people using the service. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on our recommendations and made improvements.

Why we inspected

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.

We carried out an unannounced inspection of this service on 13 and 20 April 2022. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection, we found some improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of safe care and treatment and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

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 The Valleys 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.