Freehold Cottage Residential Home

Updated 17 February 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 undertaken by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Freehold Cottage 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. Freehold Cottage 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 announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the provider or registered manager was available to support the inspection.

Inspection activity started on 9 January 2023 and ended on 10 January 2023.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke to 5 members of staff including care staff and the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records including 2 people's care and support records, and 3 staff files in relation to recruitment. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the home. These included policies and procedures, staffing rotas, medicines management, accident and incident records, training records, safeguarding records and infection control practices.

Updated 17 February 2023

About the service

Freehold Cottage is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 6 people. The service accommodates people who need support with their mental health. At the time of our inspection there were 6 people using the service. Freehold Cottage is a single building spread over 2 floors.

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

People were cared for safely. Medicines were administered as prescribed and people were supported to self-administer where appropriate. Staff understood the importance of safeguarding and whistleblowing and knew how to report and escalate concerns. Staff were recruited safely, and the service had a robust approach to infection prevention and control. Risk assessments were comprehensive, reviewed regularly and reflected the needs of people using the service.

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’s needs were assessed, and they were supported to maintain a healthy lifestyle. Staff had received training that was suitable for their role, but some training records were out of date. The registered manager rectified this during the inspection. Staff received regular supervision and completed a thorough induction program. People were supported to achieve goals and outcomes that were meaningful to them.

People were supported by staff who understood and knew their needs well. Relatives praised the staff approach and the care that was being provided. People spoke positively about the staff who supported them, and staff told us that they enjoyed working in a small, close knit team. Staff promoted wellbeing amongst the people who used the service and understood how to provide care that promoted privacy, dignity and independence.

People were supported to attend activities in the local community and within the service. People had control over their lives and were able to maintain relationships that were important to them. People knew how to raise concerns and the relatives of people told us that they had no concerns regarding the service. People had choice in their daily lives and staff understood the importance of effective communication.

The registered manager promoted a culture of partnership working which was embedded in the service. Systems for quality assurance were robust and staff spoke positively about the culture at the service. People and relatives spoke highly of the registered managers approach and they were actively involved in contributing to the delivery of care.

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 the service under the previous provider was good, published on 27 April 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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, which will help inform when we next inspect.