Archived: Seventrees

Updated 6 July 2019

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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Seventrees is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced.

What we did

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection we spoke with four people who used the service and five relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, a team leader and five support workers. We reviewed the care records of three people. We also looked at the records for four staff that had been recruited since our last inspection and other records relating to the management of the service such as medicines administration records, audits and staff rotas.

Following the inspection we received feedback from four health and social care professionals.

Updated 6 July 2019

About the service

Seventrees is a care home without nursing. Seventrees provides care for up to eight adults living with a range of learning difficulties and mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were eight people living at the home some of whom also lived with physical disabilities. The service is in a residential area and has an accessible garden and parking.

Rating at last inspection

At our last inspection in April 2018, we rated the service as ‘Requires improvement’.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

People’s experience of using this service

Improvements had been made since our last inspection and the service was, overall, meeting the characteristics of a ‘Good’ service.

However, further work was needed to ensure that staff consistently acted in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act and its Code of Practice.

Recruitment checks were now being more robustly implemented.

Overall, the design and layout of the premises met people’s needs. Some improvements had been made to the décor and some fixtures and fittings had been updated. Further improvements were planned which included the installation of ensuite bathrooms and new carpets.

Staff understood how to recognise and respond to abuse and had a good understanding of risks to people’s health and wellbeing. Medicines were managed safely and there were sufficient numbers of experienced staff to meet people’s needs.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensured that people who used the service were able to live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflected the need for people with learning disabilities to live meaningful lives that included control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to eight people. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However. the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

Professionals were positive about the outcomes people achieved at the service. People continued to be supported to have enough to eat and drink and their dietary needs were met. Staff worked effectively with a range of other healthcare professionals to help ensure people’s health care needs were met.

People were supported by staff who were kind and caring. People were cared for with dignity and respect and staff were mindful of their need for privacy.

People received personalised care from staff who understood their needs well. People were supported to follow their interests and take part in activities that involved them in the local community.

Feedback about the registered manager was positive and people and staff felt the service was well led. There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service and to ensure people were receiving the best possible support.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk