Archived: Hungerford Care Home

Updated 19 November 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 29 and 30 September 2015 and was unannounced. It was carried out by one inspector.

This was a comprehensive inspection which included following-up progress with regard to the non-compliance identified in the report of the previous inspection on 17 July 2014. Where applicable we have referred back to the previous inspection to report the progress made since that visit.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed the records we held about the service, including the details of any safeguarding events and statutory notifications sent by the provider. Statutory notifications are reports of events that the provider is required by law to inform us about.

During the inspection we spoke with seven people using the service and three relatives. We also spoke with four staff, the registered manager and other members of the provider’s senior management team.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) as well as observing care informally during the inspection. SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed the care plans and/or associated records for five people, including risk assessments and reviews, and related this to the care observed. We examined a sample of other records to do with the home’s operation including staff records, complaints, surveys and various monitoring and audit tools. We looked at the recruitment records for four recently appointed staff.

We spoke with the members of the local care home support team who had recently become involved offering feedback and training to staff after detailed observations of care practice.

Updated 19 November 2015

This inspection took place on 29 and 30 September 2015 and was unannounced. This was a comprehensive inspection which included follow-up of progress on the non-compliance identified in the report of the previous inspection on 17 October 2014.

At the previous comprehensive inspection we identified non-compliance against Regulations 9 (Care and welfare of service users), 10 (Assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision), 12 (Cleanliness and infection control), 17 (Respecting and involving service users) and 23 (Supporting workers) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.

From April 2015, the 2010 Regulations were superseded by the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. At this inspection we found that the provider was meeting the requirements of the comparable current regulations. Regulations 9 (Person-centred care), 17 (Good governance), 12 (Safe care and treatment), 10 (Dignity and respect) and 18 (Staffing).

We found that the service had taken action to address the previous concerns although further improvements were needed. A number of new initiatives had yet to become established to ensure the changes are sustained.

Hungerford Care Home is a residential home with nursing that offers a service for up to 59 older people. Some people are living with varying types and degrees of dementia.

A new manager had been in post since May 2015 who became registered manager on 25 September 2015. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The new registered manager had identified key areas where improvement was needed and had taken action to address these. A number of new systems and monitoring processes had been established to oversee the quality of the service. The premises were undergoing a complete redecoration programme including the provision of new furnishings. People had been involved in choosing the décor and furniture.

People were happy with the care they received and told us staff were kind and respectful. We saw staff were enthusiastic and engaged positively with people. People were offered choices and given time to make them.

The level and range of activities had been improved and more individual activities were provided.

People’s health and nutritional needs were met and the service consulted and worked effectively with external healthcare agencies. Advice and guidance from the local authority and the health authority care home support team had been taken and acted upon.

The service had recently been given a new brand name, “Brighterkind”. As part of this process, new initiatives on catering, activities and healthcare were being introduced to improve the care people received.