The Care Quality Commission (CQC) has rated Karuna Manor as outstanding following an inspection in September and October.
Karuna Manor, run by Karuna Care (TLC) Limited, is a nursing home providing personal care for up to 60 older people, including people with dementia. This was a routine inspection.
As well as the home’s overall rating rising from good to outstanding, its rating for responsive and well-led have also risen from good to outstanding. It was again rated good for safe. This inspection didn’t look at how effective or caring the service was, so these remain rated good from their previous inspection.
Turon Karim, CQC deputy director of operations in London, said:
“When we inspected Karuna Manor we were very pleased to find leaders had created a person-centred culture in which staff placed people’s individual needs and preferences at the heart of the service and were dedicated to continually improving care.
“Staff spent time getting to know everyone in the home, and people’s needs and preferences were well assessed and supported. We saw people were relaxed and smiling throughout interactions with staff, and inspectors were given excellent feedback about the home from the people living there, their loved ones, staff, and outside professionals.
“People’s loved ones told us about particularly outstanding care people had received at the end of their life, and we saw leaders had worked with local hospices to create an end-of-life training programme for all staff, who provided compassionate, sensitive care. For example, we saw staff had supported a person’s final wish to visit their family abroad, by arranging the trip and going with them.
“Leaders encouraged a culture that was open, inclusive, and supportive to both staff and the people living in the home. We saw leaders looked daily for feedback to improve the service, and quickly investigated when things went wrong to learn from them in future. Both staff and leaders were passionate, and this showed in the high standard of care people received.
“We’ve shared our findings with the provider, and we hope other services look at our report for Karuna Manor to see what they could learn.”
Inspectors also found:
- The provider was the first in the country to use a new device which allowed staff to perform hearing tests, identify abnormalities in the ear, and remove ear wax buildup without people needing to visit a hospital. Staff explained how hearing loss can lead to isolation and poor communication, and inspectors saw this technology had an immense positive impact for people
- People were supported to lead rich and meaningful lives. People were supported to maintain relationships, form new friendships, and pursue their interests in the home. People’s loved ones praised the variety of activities available to residents, which included a cinema located inside the home
- In one case, staff helped one person who used to be a medical professional to decorate part of the home as a surgery. This person enjoyed the space, and some staff and residents had their blood pressure checked here
- There was a temple and dedicated priest within the home, and the service celebrated religious festivals for many different faiths throughout the year. People of all faiths were welcome to these, and people said this made a real difference to their well-being
- When people’s ill health meant they couldn’t attend physical events, staff live-streamed these to people’s rooms to make sure they still felt included and didn’t become isolated
- People and their loved ones said they felt safe in the home, and inspectors saw their individual risks were well-managed
- The home monitored people’s health closely, with input twice a week from a GP, to make sure people had medical support available quickly if they needed it.
However:
- Most people’s medicines were managed safely but inspectors found some people’s care plans didn’t always have clear guidance on their medicines for staff. Inspectors raised this to the provider, who took action immediately.