Acorn House

Updated 5 February 2022

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 COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 19 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service two days’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 5 February 2022

This unannounced inspection took place on 14 and 20 November 2017. Acorn House is a ‘care home’. 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. Acorn House accommodates up to 64 people in one adapted building. During our inspection, 60 people were using the service, including some people who were living with dementia.

At our last inspection in October 2015, the service was rated 'Good' overall. At this inspection we found that the service remained 'Good’ overall and had improved to ‘Outstanding’ in Responsive.

The service had a registered manager in place at the time of our inspection. 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 supported by staff who understood and acted appropriately in relation to their responsibility to keep people safe. Risks to people’s health and safety had been identified and mitigated to reduce the risk of harm as much as possible. People were supported by a sufficient amount of staff, received their medicines safely and lived in a clean and hygienic service.

People were supported by staff who had received appropriate training and support. People were supported to eat and drink enough and staff monitored and responded to changes in their health conditions. People lived in a building which had been specifically designed to meet their needs. 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 were treated with kindness and respect and we saw that staff took time to sit with people and let them know they mattered. The staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about the people they supported and ensured that people were involved in making decisions about their own care as much as possible. People could be assured that their privacy and dignity were respected by staff.

People received care which was focused on them as individuals and staff went the extra mile to enhance people’s lives. Efforts had been made to overcome any barriers people may face to achieving their aspirations, partake in activities and maintain or develop relationships. People were provided with opportunities to make a complaint about the service and these were responded to efficiently. People’s preferences as to how they wished to be cared for at the time of their death were recorded and followed and relatives were complimentary of how their loved one had been supported at the end of their life.

There was an open and transparent culture at the service and the management and staff team were committed to a shared philosophy to deliver excellent care. People’s views regarding their satisfaction with the service and any areas for improvement were regularly sought and acted upon. Robust systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service and the management continually sought to make improvements to the service people received.