Gravesham Place Integrated Care Centre

Updated 14 April 2021

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.

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 17 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 14 April 2021

About the service: Gravesham Place Integrated Care Centre is a care home providing short term care of up to three weeks for people leaving hospital to return to their own homes or move to an appropriate longer term care home setting.

•People told us they experienced and exceptional service. People and their relatives said of the service, “Very well run, staff are so obliging.” “I couldn’t have wished to be in a better place. I feel like a queen being waited on.” “The level of care and attention I see people receiving from the staff team is first class.” “Excellent care.”

•The registered manager had worked innovatively to engage with people in their recovery pathway. For example, weekly multi-disciplinary meetings were led by Gravesham Place staff to review and adjust people’s care pathway. People who had been very poorly on admission had received exceptional care to enable them to recover. One person said, “The service is excellent.” Another person said, “Staff are very helpful and go over the top with their care and kindness.”

•Incidents and accidents were recorded and checked or investigated by the registered manager to see what steps could be taken to prevent these happening again. People’s safety was protected through a culture of incident analyses and responses. For example, the levels of falls in the service had reduced by half. People told us they felt safe with staff. One person said, “I Feel very safe, staff are great I like them all.” Another person said, “I feel safe here, I just don’t want to go home now.” People received their medicines as prescribed to protect their health and wellbeing. One person said, “I always have my medication at breakfast time.” Another person said, “Staff always check with me if I am in pain and need some extra painkillers.”

•We observed and people told us that staff met their needs with exceptional care and compassion. This happened because the registered manager recognised the value of having staff on site trained to mentor others in delivering consistent compassionate care. For example, dementia and dignity champions. One person said, “I feel they are my friends, I can have a joke with staff.” A relative said, “Staff have a caring attitude, when staff come in for their shift they go round everyone saying hello using their first names, asking them how they are.”

•The values of the organisation matched the high standards of care people experienced in the service to meet their needs. For example, the service was dependency driven rather than numbers led so that staffing levels were consistently matched to people’s needs. One person said, “There are enough staff to help me, they always have time for you.” Staff were deployed with the skills and training needed to meet people's needs and choices. People and their relatives told us that the staff were good at their jobs, that staff had the right skills and knowledge to meet their need. A relative said, “Staff appear skilled, they are proactive and very aware of who they are talking to.”

•Staff at Gravesham place utilised planned and emergency specialised health and social care colleagues such as occupational therapy and community nursing exceptionally well. People and their relatives told us their health care needs were met and that health care staff were proactive at getting medical assistance. One person said, “I have regular district nurse visits to check my wounds are healing correctly.” A relative said, “When (family member) was not too good recently they called the doctor straight away.”

•People felt included in planning their care. A relative said, “We have been kept fully informed about the assessment (care plan) by the staff.” People’s rights and their dignity and privacy were respected. One person said, “Staff always knock before they come in, when having a shower they leave me to do as much as I can, always there to give me my towel to dry myself.” People told us they were listened to by the management of the service. One person said, “I would recommend this place to anyone, everyone treated the same, they treat you as a person.”

•The care offered was inclusive and based on policies about Equality, Diversity and Human Rights. Equality champions offered support and advice to people and staff. Innovative ways were being used to encourage people to speak about their sexuality. For example, the rainbow flag, commonly known as the gay pride flag or LGBT pride flag, had been discreetly added to paperwork headings, information displayed on notice broads and placed around the service.

•People were often asked if they were happy with the care they received. People, their relatives and health care professionals had the opportunity to share their views about the service.

•Care plans had been developed to assist staff to meet people’s needs. One person said, “There’s a folder with my care plan in it, staff always record what I have eaten and been drinking along with what I have done for the day.” The care plans were consistently reviewed and updated. Care plans told people’s life story, recorded who the important relatives and friends were in people’s lives and explained what lifestyle choices people had made. Care planning informed staff what people could do independently, what skills people wanted to develop and what staff needed to help people to do.

•Health and safety policies and management plans were implemented by staff to protect people from harm. The provider trained staff so that they understood their responsibilities to protect people from harm. Staff were encouraged and supported to raise any concerns they may have.

•Complaints made by people or their relatives were taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

•Safe recruitment practices had been followed before staff started working at the service.

•New staff and existing staff were given an induction and on-going training which included information specific to the people’s needs in the service. Staff were deployed in a planned way, with the correct training, skills and experience to meet people’s needs.

•There were policies and procedures in place for the safe administration of medicines. Staff followed these policies and had been trained to administer medicines safely.

•Staff supported people to maintain a balanced diet and monitor their nutritional health. People had access to GPs and their health and wellbeing was supported by prompt referrals and access to medical care if they became unwell. Good quality records were kept to assist people to monitor and maintain their health.

•Management systems were in use to minimise the risks from the spread of infection. One person said, “The home is well managed and kept spotlessly clean.”

•The service could continue to run in the event of emergencies arising so that people’s care would continue.

The registered manager and staff were working with a clear vision for the service.

Rating at last inspection: At our last inspection on 13 July 2016, (The last inspection report was published on 24 August 2016), we gave the service a Good rating. At this inspection we found the evidence of continued development which had moved the service to an Outstanding rating.

Why we inspected: This was a comprehensive inspection scheduled based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.

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