Garland House

Updated 30 June 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

As part of CQC's response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 19 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 30 June 2021

About the service

Garland House is a residential care home providing personal care to 18 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 20 people.

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

We found improvements were required to the way in which people’s medicines were managed because storage area temperatures were not monitored, and stocks of people’s medicines could not always be accurately checked to ensure they were correct. Improvements were also required to the provider’s systems for monitoring service quality and safety because medicines audits were not robust in identifying these issues.

We have made a recommendation about the use of nationally recognised assessment tools when assessing people’s needs.

People told us they were happy living at the home and that they received high quality support. They were protected from the risk of abuse because staff were aware of the action to take if they suspected someone had been abused. Risks to people had been assessed and staff followed the guidance in people’s care plans in order to safely manage identified risks. Staff also worked in ways that minimised the risk of the spread of infection.

The home had enough staff working on each shift to meet people’s needs. The provider followed safe recruitment practices. Staff knew to report incidents or accidents that occurred and the registered manager reviewed incident and accident records for learning, to reduce the risk of repeat occurrence. Staff were supported in their roles through an induction, training and regular supervision. The home had been adapted to meet people’s needs.

People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and told us they enjoyed the food on offer at the home. They were able to access to a range of healthcare services where needed and staff worked to ensure they received consistent support when moving between different services. Staff sought people’s consent when offering them support. 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.

Staff treated people with care and compassion. They respected people’s privacy and treated them with dignity. People were able to express their views and were involved in making decisions about the support they received. They had also been involved in the planning of their care and told us that staff supported them in line with their expressed preferences. The provider arranged activities for people to take part in which they told us they enjoyed. People knew how to complain and expressed confidence that any issues they raised would be addressed.

Staff spoke positively about the way they worked together and told us they were well supported by the registered manager. The registered manager demonstrated a good understanding of the responsibility of their role. They sought feedback from people and their relatives on the service they provided, and this feedback had been positive.

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 (report published 16 June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.