Deerhurst

Updated 25 June 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This was a targeted inspection to check on a concern we had received about person centred support and activities, and people’s ability to share their views and wishes.

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 an inspector.

Service and service type

Deerhurst is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Deerhurst is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a manager in post who was in the process of completing their application to register with the commission.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because the service is small, and people are often out and we wanted to be sure there would be people at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 6 May 2022 to help us plan the inspection and inform our judgements. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the manager and operations manager, who is also the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed three people’s care records, surveys and correspondence between families and the service. We spoke with two people and observed staff interactions with them.

Following the inspection

We continued to review information sent to us by the provider.

Updated 25 June 2022

About the service:

Deerhurst is a 'care home' registered to provide accommodation and personal care support for up to three people living with a learning disability, mental health needs, sensory disability and/or autistic spectrum disorder. At the time of this inspection there were three people living there, ages ranging from under to over 65.

People’s experience of using this service:

People living at Deerhurst received personalised support which met their needs and preferences. Support plans included information about people’s communication, which was well understood by staff.

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 polices and systems in the service supported this practice.

People living at the service were protected from abuse because staff had received training and were confident in raising concerns about people’s wellbeing. There was a thorough recruitment process in place that checked potential staff were safe to work with people who may be vulnerable. Safe medicines practice was understood.

People’s rights regarding capacity and consent were respected and the service had anticipated potential complications of a lack of capacity in advance. This helped to ensure for example the person could receive appropriate treatment in line with their best interests in an emergency.

Outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in that people had opportunities to be involved with their local community, and experience as many activities and choices as possible. People were asked throughout the day about what they would like to do. Pictures and photographs were used to support people’s understanding of choices for example regarding menu options.

People and their relatives were involved in the planning and delivery of their care. Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing were assessed and acted upon. Risk assessments gave staff clear direction on how to minimise risks for people, for example for long term health conditions or distressed behaviours.

People’s care and support plans were followed in practice. Staff knew people well and enabled them to share their views and live as independently as possible.

People were supported by kind and caring staff who worked hard to promote their sense of wellbeing, which they told us was very important to them. Staff were provided with the training, supervision and support they needed to care for people well. Where agency staff supported people, they were regular staff who knew people’s needs and any risks in relation to their care.

Effective quality assurance systems were in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the services provided. People and their relatives were consulted over their care and the service was working to improve systems to make results of this more meaningful to people living at the service.

Rating at last inspection: This service was last inspected on 30 and 31 May 2017 and was rated good overall and in every key question.

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

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the intelligence we receive about the service. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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