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 28 people using the service, two of whom were currently in hospital.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
At the last inspection there was a breach of regulation 12 (Safe Care and Treatment) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. This was because the provider had failed to manage medicines properly and safely and systems had failed to identify missing documentation relating to health and safety. At this inspection we found enough improvement had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 12.
Medicine systems were safe. All necessary health and safety records were in place and general and individual risks were documented and addressed as required.
There were appropriate systems to keep people safe from the risk of abuse and there were enough safely recruited staff to meet people’s needs. Staff had a thorough induction and training was plentiful and on-going.
The home was clean and fresh throughout and infection control measures were in place. There was ample room for people with restricted mobility to move about. A very pleasant large garden area was available for people to utilise in good weather
Prior to admission a full assessment of people’s needs was completed. A new electronic care plan system helped ensure information about people’s support needs was kept up to date.
The dining experience was pleasant, food was nutritious, drinks were plentiful and people were given lots of choices. People’s special diets were adhered to and weights were monitored as needed and issues followed up as required.
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.
There was an equality and diversity policy and procedure in place and staff undertook training in this area. People were encouraged to express their opinions via regular themed surveys and meetings. Staff were seen to respect people’s dignity and privacy.
Staff members assisted with activities, such as games and exercises during the day. There were also externally sourced entertainers who visited the home to provide some stimulation.
There was information about how to complain in the entrance to the home, and a complaints/compliments box for people to use.
Advance care plans were included within care files to ensure people’s wishes for when they were nearing the end of their lives had been documented.
A system of monthly audits had been implemented and these helped the service to identify and address any issues. The manager was approachable and supportive to people who used the service, relatives and staff.
Appropriate referrals were made to other agencies, such as dieticians and speech and language therapy teams (SALT). The home was part of the Bolton Care Excellence scheme, which aims to improve the health, care and experience of the people of Bolton.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection (and update)
At the previous inspection (published 18 September 2018)) the service was rated Requires Improvement. This was because there was a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014, relating to poor recording and unsafe medicines management. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve
At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.