OSJCT The Cedars

Updated 9 December 2020

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. 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.

This was a targeted inspection to check whether the provider was delivering safe care and treatment in relation to infection prevention and control when managing an outbreak of COVID-19. As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

OSJCT The Cedars is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Notice of inspection

We gave short notice of this inspection. This was to ensure we were aware of the up-to-date COVID-19 cases at the home and could adhere to the provider's procedures for visitors to the home.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We spoke with the local authority commissioning and public health teams, and reviewed information we held about this service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager and discussed the infection prevention and control processes at the home. We reviewed the training matrix, COVID-19 test results and risk assessments. We completed a tour of both floors of the home and spoke informally with people and staff during this time.

Updated 9 December 2020

About the service: The Cedars is a residential care home, providing personal care for up to 49 people. At the time of the inspection there were 40 people living at the home, some of whom were living with dementia. Accommodation was provided across two floors, with communal areas on the ground floor.

People’s experience of using this service:

At the previous inspection in November 2018, we rated the service as Requires Improvement. This was because although some improvements had been made, there were areas where further improvements were needed. At this inspection, we found many improvements had been made and areas where further improvements were needed, were identified by the management team. The service is now rated as Good overall.

Continued improvements were needed to ensure all care plans reflected people’s health needs and best interest decisions. However, there were more thorough care plan monitoring systems in place and there were some good examples of person-centred care planning.

We continued to receive mixed feedback about the food at the service. We saw that people had a choice of two different main meals at lunch time, and a range of lighter options in the evening. There were bowls of snack foods and a choice of drinks available in different areas of the home.

Work was taking place to create an open culture where everyone, including people, their relatives, and staff contributed to decisions about the service. This included identifying what everyone felt dignity in care meant.

People and their relatives had the opportunity to attend meetings to share their views. We saw staff asking people how they were and spending time with them. Relatives were welcomed to join people in activities or to visit at any time. People had access to different communal areas including quieter lounges, a large dining area, and spaces for activities.

There was a varied social programme of activities and events. Good community relationships had been formed, and there was support from volunteers.

Medicines continued to be managed safely. Records were up to date and monitored to ensure that people received their medicines and creams as prescribed.

The home was clean, tidy and free from bad odours throughout. Some areas had been redecorated and there were new carpets throughout the home. There were hand rails to help people move around the home safely.

People were supported by staff who received a range of training, including training in dignity and supporting people living with dementia. Staff received supervision conversations with their senior and attended staff team meetings.

People, their relatives and staff felt more supported by the home management team. We received positive feedback about how visible the home manager was.

Rating at last inspection: Requires Improvement (Report published 6 February 2019)

Why we inspected: Because the home had previously been repeatedly rated as Requires Improvement, we needed to ensure that improvements had been made.

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

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