The Clough Care Home

Updated 15 May 2021

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

The Clough 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.

The service had a manager registered with the CQC. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

We gave a short period notice of the inspection so that some of the information required could be sent to us electronically. This was to ensure that we spent as little time as possible on the premises, due to the current pandemic.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff including the registered manager, two acting senior carers and a care assistant. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We received feedback from two further staff members. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 15 May 2021

About the service

The Clough Care Home is a detached property with large gardens, located in a quiet residential area in Bolton. There are 30 rooms, two of which are shared. The Clough provides accommodation and support for up to 32 older people. On the day of the inspection there were 23 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Systems for safeguarding people from harm were robust. Staff completed regular safeguarding training and were aware of how to report any safeguarding concerns or poor practice witnessed. Risk assessments were completed for each individual and kept up to date with regular reviews. Health and safety certificates were in place and regular checks completed. Medicines were managed safely and appropriate infection control measures were in place at the home.

Staff were recruited safely and adequate numbers of staff were deployed to meet people’s needs. Staff training was on-going throughout their employment.

People told us they were looked after kindly and their privacy and dignity were respected. Care plans included clear information about people’s preferences and needs and people’s choices were respected. People were supported to be as independent as possible.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Some staff expressed concerns about the management of staffing issues, although most felt management was proactive and helpful. The concerns were addressed immediately by the registered manager.

Complaints and concerns were responded to appropriately and honestly. Audits and quality checks were completed and any issues addressed appropriately. The service communicated well with relatives and friends and worked productively with other agencies and professionals.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 4 September 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to poor care standards. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, caring and well-led only.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

The overall rating for the service has remained good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe, caring and well-led sections of this full report.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Clough Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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