Appletrees Care Home

The home is an adapted building with care provided over 3 floors. People have access to lounges, dining areas, and accessible outdoor spaces. Bathrooms and toilets are situated near to communal areas.

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

People were not consistently protected from the risk of harm. People’s medicines were not always managed safely and in line with best practice. The provider was not following safe recruitment practices. We were somewhat assured by the providers infection control practices.

People could not be assured their needs would be fully assessed by the provider. People’s mealtime experience was not always positive. People’s care plans were not consistently reviewed. Information was not always provided in a way that all people would understand. People were not supported in activities and hobbies that met their needs. Not all people had been consulted about their end of life pathways. Governance and quality checks were not always effective. People were not always given the opportunity to engage in the planning of the service.

The home worked in partnership with other agencies. The home was adapted to meet people’s needs.

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 home had an effective complaints procedure. The provider understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour. People were supported by staff who were caring.

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 28 October 2021 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good (published 17 September 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 meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

People were encouraged to continue maintaining relationships with others who were important to them, with support from staff. This included through telephone calls and information technology platforms. Staff considered people’s preferred methods of communication when supporting them to keep in touch with their friends and families.

Any changes to visiting guidance were discussed with people and their relatives. Evidence of a negative lateral flow test and vaccination status for those who were not exempt from vaccination was seen before entry to the home. Staff worked in flexible ways to ensure people and relatives were supported to mark important family events. Visiting arrangements were consistently in place to provide comfort to people at the end of their lives.

People were supported to use specific areas of the home safely, with minimal restrictions on their freedoms, during periods of isolation. This helped to promote people’s well-being.

The registered manager had clearly communicated their expectations to staff in the event of any infections. This informed staff practice and helped to reduce the likelihood of infections continuing for extended periods.

People were supported in areas where windows were opened to support good ventilation and enhanced cleaning of touch points.

A refurbishment programme had commenced so people would continue to enjoy their environment. Senior staff were in the process of identifying any equipment which may require replacing, to further promote good infection control.