Clarendon Nursing Home

Updated 13 May 2023

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

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Clarendon 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. Clarendon is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 5 January 2023 and ended on 1 February 2023. We visited the location’s service on 9 January 2023.

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 (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 1 healthcare professional, 12 people who used the service and 6 relatives about their experience of the care and support provided. We spoke with 8 members of staff, the registered manager, the regional support manager, 2 registered nurses, the chef and the laundry assistant. We reviewed a range of records, including five people’s care records, five staff recruitment files, training and supervision information and other records relating to the service. After the inspection we spoke with 5 health and social care professionals.

Updated 13 May 2023

About the service

Clarendon Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 51 people. The service provides support to adults living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 50 people using the service.

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

People were kept safe. Staff knew how to raise safeguarding concerns and were aware of the processes to follow in order to keep people safe. People told us they were kept safe and that they felt safe.

Care and support plans were person centred and developed to ensure people’s needs were met appropriately.

Risk management strategies were in place to assist staff to help people to manage these risks and to identify triggers for expressing feelings or an emotional reaction.

Staffing levels were appropriate to ensure people's needs were met in a safe, timely and consistent way.

The service was following safe infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe.

The administration of medicines was managed in a safe way and people received their medicines safely.

The service was flexible and adapted to people's changing needs and wishes and promoted their independence. Risk assessments were carried out and risk management plans helped staff as well as the person to minimise risks but included positive risk taking.

The provider created a culture where staff were able to develop and improve their practice. They were provided with the right training and support to make sure they could fulfil their roles appropriately.

People were encouraged and supported to lead as fulfilled a life as possible. They were supported to follow their hopes and aspirations.

People and their families described care as very good and people were well-supported and treated with dignity and respect. We received consistently positive feedback about the caring nature of staff and their empathetic approach. People, their relatives and staff referred to the trust, kindness, understanding and sensitivity to their individual needs as reasons why they felt the service was good.

People's individuality was respected. People were involved in decisions about their day to day lives and staff respected people's choices. People had their dignity and privacy respected and were supported to maintain their independence.

People's diversity and their unique individual needs were well-respected by staff. The staff team knew people extremely well and were able to provide appropriate support discreetly and with compassion.

People's privacy was respected, and people were supported to maintain contact with relatives and friends.

There was clear evidence of collaborative working and good communication with other professionals in health and social care sector. People's health care needs were being met and they had access to healthcare services where needed.

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.

Robust processes were in place to manage and respond to complaints and concerns.

Clarendon Nursing Home was well led. The provider's ethos and values put people at the heart of the service. This vision was driven by the leadership of the nominated individual and of the registered manager. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. The staff team were empowered to contribute fully to support a person-centred model of effective care. This helped people using the service, with complex needs, to achieve their maximum potential and quality of life.

There was a comprehensive and effective governance system in place.

People, relatives and staff were confident about approaching the registered manager if they needed to. They recognised that their views and feedback were valued and respected and consistently used to support quality service development. A wide range of comprehensive audits took place to ensure the quality of the service was maintained.

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 28 August 2019).

Why we inspected

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

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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.