Archived: The Chanters

Updated 13 February 2021

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 4 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 13 February 2021

This inspection took place on 23 and 24 July 2018. The first day was unannounced, however we informed staff we would be returning for a second day to complete the inspection and announced this in advance.

The Chanters is owned by Larchwood Care Homes (North) Limited and is located in the Atherton area. The Chanters offers accommodation for up to 40 people who require assistance with personal care and support. At the time of the inspection there were 40 people living in the home.

The Chanters is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

At our last inspection in May 2016 the home was rated as 'Good' in four domains and overall, but Requires Improvement in the Effective domain because we had identified a breach of the regulations in relation to the use of the building. At this inspection we found this had been responded to fully by the home and significant improvements had been achieved which included, improving the environment for people living with dementia.

The home had effective systems in place to protect people from the risk of harm and abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about how to recognise and respond to concerns. We could see the home had been thorough in investigating and following up all concerns raised.

Staffing levels were calculated and reviewed regularly based on people's needs. We could see staffing had been amended when required. People living in the home and their relatives told us they felt the home was safe. People had been supported to assess and manage the risks in their daily lives while maintaining as much independence as possible.

Medicines were managed safely, some people had been supported to manage their own medicines.

Staff had been recruited safely, all the necessary checks had been completed to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

The building had been well maintained and there were regular cleaning schedules and infection control checks. We found there was a slight odour on the ground floor which we discussed with the registered manager who will address this. We will review this at our next inspection.

New staff received a comprehensive induction programme and regular training. At the time of our inspection the training records were being transferred to a new system and we could not see the most recent training matrix. We will review this at our next inspection.

The home had applied for Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations when required and had an effective system for ensuring these were up to date. Staff understood the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA), the importance of supporting decision making and obtaining consent.

People had been supported to maintain all aspects of their health, they had access to health professionals when needed. The home ensured information about health needs and how to support communication had been transferred effectively when people went to hospital.

The home had considered the impact of the environment for people living with dementia. Using an assessment tool from the Kings Fund, The King's Fund is an independent charity working to improve health and care in England. they had devised an action plan and made changes to the lighting, seating areas, flooring and access to the garden. They had also improved signage around the home and encouraged improved nutrition and access to food and drink at all times.

People living in the home said they thought the staff were caring. We observed staff were kind and patient with everyone. Staff asked people before providing any support.

We used the Short observational framework for inspection tool (SOFI) to understand and represent the experience for people who were not able to communicate with us. We found staff were patient and respectful offering reassurance and support to a person who appeared upset. Staff interacted with people when they had time both in relation to care but also more socially.

People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs. Care plans included clear information about how people preferred to be supported. People's needs were reviewed and updated regularly. The home referred people to appropriate professionals such as the dietician when required. We could see other professional's advice had been recorded and followed by the care staff.

There were a variety of activities available inside the home and garden and also trips out to places people wanted to go to, for example a sensory farm and garden centres. The home arranged for entertainers such as singers to perform. Some people preferred not to engage in organised activities and remained in their rooms.

The home had a complaints policy and we could see they had followed this and responded to people's concerns. The home encouraged people's feedback and posted reviews they had received on the internet.

The home's values and culture were displayed in the foyer and included in the service user guide. Staff understood their roles and what was expected of them in relation to providing high quality care. Staff praised the leadership and support provided by the registered manager and the management team.

Regular monitoring and auditing of the care and support people received ensured good standards of care were maintained. We saw how the management team had identified concerns and acted quickly to address them.

Regular team meetings ensured staff were up to date and had an opportunity to share information and learning. Daily handover at each shift change ensured staff were aware of how people were and whether there had been any changes they needed to be aware of.

The home worked with other organisations in the community and with their partners in Wigan Council to improve the quality of the service and care provided.