Longbridge Deverill House and Nursing Home

Updated 21 October 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.

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 completed by three inspectors.

Service and service type

Longbridge Deverill House and Nursing Home 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. Longbridge Deverill House and Nursing Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

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 not a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service and the service provider. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people and seven relatives to gather their views about the care they received.

We looked at nine people’s care records. We checked recruitment, training and supervision records for staff and looked at a range of records about how the service was managed. We also spoke with the manager, regional director, deputy manager and ten care and nursing staff. We received feedback from a health professional who had worked with the service.

Updated 21 October 2022

About the service

Longbridge Deverill House and Nursing Home is a care home providing accommodation and nursing care for up to 80 people. The service provides support to people who are living with dementia. At the start of the inspection, people were living in both the main nursing home and in the house. By the end of the inspection the provider had completed the planned closure of the house and people had either moved to the nursing home or a different service.

At the time of our inspection there were 55 people using the service.

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

The provider’s systems of management oversight were not always effective and had not ensured they met their regulatory requirements. The systems in place had not ensured the provider always notified CQC of significant events; made improvements to the cleanliness of the building; completed actions from a fire risk assessment within the required timescale; or ensured staff kept an accurate record of the care they provided to people.

There were usually enough staff to meet people’s needs. However, the service was reliant on temporary staff, which affected the consistency of support people received. Some people reported delays in receiving care and some relatives were concerned about the availability of staff at times. We made a recommendation that the provider reviews they way staff are deployed to ensure it is effective.

The service did not have a registered manager in post and there had been inconsistent management of the service over the previous six months.

People told us they felt safe at the service and staff had a good understanding of safeguarding procedures in place. Records demonstrated the management team had worked with the local authority safeguarding team where necessary.

Infection prevention and control procedures had been reviewed and updated to reflect the COVID-19 pandemic. Systems were in place to prevent visitors catching and spreading infections.

Staff demonstrated a good understanding of people’s individual needs and a commitment to provide person-centred care. Staff worked with health and social care specialists where needed to develop plans to support people. People were supported to see their doctor and other health professionals when needed.

The service had worked with Wiltshire Health and Care on a project to provide virtual consultant-led clinical support for people in care homes. This work had helped to improve people’s wellbeing and quality of life and prevent avoidable hospital admissions.

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.

People were treated with kindness and people were positive about staff’s caring attitude. We observed staff interacting with people in a kind and respectful way.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 2 November 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified a breach of regulations in relation to good governance at this inspection. We have also made recommendations about staff deployment.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.