Elm Tree House

Updated 6 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 1 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 6 March 2021

About the service: Elm Tree House provides accommodation and personal care for up to 20 older people who are living with dementia. The home is situated on a main road location in Newton Le Willows and is close to shops and other local amenities. Accommodation is provided on the ground and first floor and a passenger lift and stair lift are in place for ease of access.

What life is like for people using this service:

The atmosphere at Elm Tree House was calm and homely; the management team and staff had developed strong, familiar and positive relationships with people and family members. Throughout the inspection the registered manager, management team and staff were seen to be warm and affectionate towards people and often displayed physical contact that was appropriate and accepted by people.

Staff showed a genuine motivation to deliver care in a person centred way based on people’s preferences. People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff used techniques to help relax people with positive outcomes. Everyone we spoke with told us Elm Tree House was homely place to live and staff were always kind and caring towards them.

People told us they felt safe living at the service and family members were confident their relatives were kept safe. Risks that people faced were identified and assessed and measures put in place to manage them and minimise the risk of harm occurring. Staff showed a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities for keeping people safe from harm. Medicines were managed safely and people received their prescribed medication at the right time. The environment was safe and people had access to appropriate equipment they needed.

Enough suitably qualified and skilled staff were deployed to meet people’s individual needs. Staff received a range training and support appropriate to their role and people's needs. The registered manager recognised the importance of ensuring staff were happy in their roles and provided incentives to promote this.

People’s needs and choices were assessed and planned for. Care plans identified intended outcomes for people and how they were to be met in a way they preferred. People told us they received all the right care and support from staff who were well trained and competent. People received the right care and support to eat and drink well and their healthcare needs were understood and met. People who were able consented to their care and support. Where people lacked capacity to make their own decisions they were made in their best interest in line with the Mental Capacity Act.

People received personalised care and support which was in line with their care plan. People, family members and others knew how to make a complaint and they were confident about complaining should they need to. They were confident that their complaint would be listened to and acted upon quickly.

The leadership of the service promoted a positive culture that was person centred and inclusive. People, family members and staff all described the registered manager and deputy manager as supportive and approachable. The management team showed a continued desire to improve on the service and worked closely with other agencies and healthcare professionals in order to do this. Effective systems were in place to check on the quality and safety of the service and improvements were made when required.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 5 May 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service had maintained a rating of ‘good’.

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.