12 December 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Chase Park Neuro Centre is a care home providing personal care to up to 60 people. The service provides support to people aged 18 and over, some of whom were living with a neurological condition. At the time of our inspection there were 41 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Medicines were not managed safely. Improvements were needed in the records and guidance for topical and when required medicines. Further information was also needed for how people should take their medicines.
We found a dirty and ripped shower chair and a lack of shower chairs within the home to meet people's bathing preferences. Following our inspection, 5 additional shower chairs were purchased.
Bathrooms were not big enough to allow them to get dressed in there. This did not uphold people's dignity.
The general environment was tired in relation to decor. The manager shared with us a refurbishment plan which was due to commence in 2024 throughout the two buildings.
We found window restrictors in one corridor of the building opened further than the legal requirement. We made a recommendation about window restrictors and risk assessments relating to this. This was addressed by the provider immediately following our inspection visit.
The manager and staff were open and honest. Whilst we did receive a lot of positive feedback, some staff shared negative feedback regarding the management and culture of the service. We discussed this with the manager who said they would undertake meetings to listen to all views. Staff were keen to learn and drive improvement to ensure people received the best possible care.
The provider did not have a policy relating to duty of candour on the first day of our inspection visit and we made a recommendation about this. This was in place by the second day of our inspection.
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.
Systems were in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Risks to people were managed by staff following appropriate risk assessments. We saw staff followed infection prevention and control guidance to minimise risks related to the spread of infection. Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs and staff were recruited safely. Relatives and friends were encouraged to visit the home and spend time with their loved ones.
People’s preferences and choices were being upheld. People were offered choices during mealtimes and enjoyed the food provided in the service. The home ensured people had access to health care professionals when required and worked in a multi-disciplinary way with therapists employed by the service.
People and relatives told us staff were kind and caring. We observed positive interactions between staff and people living in the home.
People told us they enjoyed the activities provided within the service and feedback about the therapies provided was excellent.
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
The last rating for this service was good (published 19 March 2020 )
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the quality of care being provided to people. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
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.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, caring, responsive and well-led sections of this full report.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
The provider acknowledged the shortfalls found during this inspection. They took action following the first day of inspection to begin to address some of the shortfalls found regarding medicines, records and the environment.
The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Chase Park Neuro Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to medicine management, safe care and treatment, person centred care, records and provider oversight and monitoring at this inspection. 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.