Archived: Swallow Wood

Updated 16 February 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

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 two inspectors.

Service and service type

Swallow Wood 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.

The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. The provider had begun the recruitment process to appoint a manager. However, an interim management team were in place and supporting the home.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced at short notice due to the current pressures of the COVID-19 pandemic.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with nine staff members including the area manager, quality improvement manager, nurses and care workers. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 16 February 2021

Swallow Wood is a purpose built home providing personal and nursing care to 23 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. Some people using the service were living with dementia. The service can support up to 38 people.

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

People were safeguarded from the risks of abuse. Staff were confident appropriate action would be taken to keep people safe.

Risks associated with people's care were identified and assessments were in place to minimise hazards. Staff were knowledgeable about risks associated with people's care and could explain how they kept people safe.

Accidents and incidents were monitored, and trends and patterns identified. Lessons were learned when thinks went wrong. People received their medicines as prescribed. There were some minor issues raised during inspection, but we saw that prompt actions were taken to resolve them.

The provider had a robust recruitment procedure which ensured new starters were recruited safely.

We observed staff interacting with people and socially engaging with them. Staff we spoke with told us how staffing levels had improved and they were able to meet people's needs and attend to people in a timely way.

The home was clean and there were Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) stations situated at several points throughout the home. The provider had managed the current pandemic well and implemented effective procedures.

We noted some minor issues on inspection but were assured these were previously known to the provider and were in the process of being resolved.

A range of audits took place to ensure the service was monitored and the quality maintained.

The service had experienced some changes in the management team and the home were currently being supported by the providers quality team. Staff told us this team had supported them well and they felt at ease to ask for their guidance and direction.

The provider engaged with people in the service and acted on their feedback. Staff felt valued and were kept informed.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 29 March 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about nutrition, hydration and record keeping. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has remained good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

We found the provider had taken action to mitigate the risks and this had been effective. No evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for ‘Swallow Wood’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.