OSJCT The Coombs

Updated 4 March 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 care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 4 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 4 March 2021

This inspection took place on 26, 27 and 28 October 2017. It was unannounced and carried out by one inspector.

At the last inspection on 5 and 6 April 2016 we identified two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. The provider had not ensured people’s medicines were correctly administered. They had not always assessed people’s nutritional risk and had not ensured care plans contained relevant information for staff guidance. The provider had sent us an action plan telling us they would meet these regulations by 31 July 2016. During this inspection we found the actions which the provider told us they would take, to make improvements, had been completed. The provider was meeting the requirements of the regulations.

The Coombs is a care home which can provide care to a maximum of 36 people. At the time of this inspection 34 people lived there. Care was provided in the main house and in three smaller connected units. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single packages, under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The Coombs provided care to older people, people who lived with dementia and those at the end of their life. There were nurses on duty at all times.

There was an experienced registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were kept safe. Improvements had been made to how people received their medicines and in how their nutritional risks were assessed. Other risks which could potentially impact on people’s health and wellbeing were identified and managed. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff had been trained and were supported to meet people’s needs safely and appropriately. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The provider’s policies and systems supported this practice and ensured people’s diverse needs were equally met. People’s health needs were responded to and met.

Staff were reported to be kind and compassionate and we observed these qualities in practice. People’s abilities, as well as their disabilities, were understood by staff who adapted their care around this. The care delivered was tailored around people’s individual needs and wishes. People were supported to have quality of life through meaningful activities. Their right to private family life was upheld. There had been improvements in people’s care plans which were personalised and contained relevant information for staff to follow. People’s care was planned with them. People and others were able to raise a concern or complaint and this was taken seriously, investigated and resolved. The staff team reflected on information received in order to learn from this and improve the service.

Improvements to the service were made through effective monitoring and a commitment by the staff team to provide the best service possible to those they looked after. There was strong and supportive leadership in place and staff who felt valued and supported by the senior staff in the care home. People, relatives and staff contributed to the running of the care home and their ideas, suggestions and feedback were valued.