Background to this inspection
Updated
10 February 2021
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
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 28 January 2021 and was announced.
Updated
10 February 2021
The Knoll Care Home is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 34 older people. At this inspection there were 29 people living at the home. The provider offers respite (short stay) care.
The home is a converted Victorian house with purpose built extensions; it has two floors with communal spaces such as lounges and a dining room on the ground floor. There is a garden and courtyard area for people to spend time outside. People were able to freely move between the building and gardens. At this inspection everyone had their own individual bedroom.
At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
Why the service is rated Good
The home continued to ensure people were safe. There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to meet people’s needs and to spend time socialising with them. Risk assessments were carried out to enable people to retain their independence and receive care with minimum risk to themselves or others. The registered manager and staff continued to encourage people to remain independent. People received their medicines safely and ways were found to reduce the amount of medicines people required. People were protected from abuse because staff understood how to keep them safe and informed us concerns would be followed up if they were raised.
The home continued to ensure people received effective care People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People who required special diets had their wishes respected and meal times were treated as a social opportunity. Staff had creative ways to support people who were struggling to eat or drink. Staff had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support people. People told us and we saw their healthcare needs were met. People were supported to see other health and social care professionals when they required additional support.
The home provided an extremely caring service to people and their relatives. People told us, and we observed that staff were kind and patient and went above and beyond for them. People’s privacy and dignity was respected by staff and their cultural or religious needs were valued. People were involved in decisions about the care and support they received. People’s choices were always respected. People had their end of life preferences recorded and staff ensured these would be carried out.
The service remained responsive to people’s individual needs. Care and support was personalised to each person which ensured they were able to make choices about their day to day lives. Activities provided a range of opportunities both in the home and the community. These considered people’s hobbies and interests and as far as possible reflected people’s preferences. People knew how to complain and the management facilitated a range of opportunities for them to discuss concerns.
The service continued to be well led. People, relatives and staff spoke highly about the registered manager and senior staff. There were times the registered manager would go above and beyond their duties to provide a caring environment for people. The registered manager and provider continually monitored the quality of the service and made improvements in accordance with people’s changing needs. When concerns were raised during the inspection the management were proactive in responding to them.
Further information is in the detailed findings below