10 August 2021
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Fern House is a purpose-built complex which consists of a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 30 older people and 49 extra care housing apartments where some people are provided with personal care from staff onsite. At the time of our inspection there were 19 people living in the care home and 26 people living in the extra care housing apartments who were receiving personal care.
Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Improvements had been made since the last inspection. Medicines management had improved, although systems needed to be embedded and developed further. We have made a recommendation about guidance for staff and records relating to topical and when required medicines.
The management of risks to people had improved although accident and incident monitoring required further development. Effective systems were in place to manage any allegations of abuse and to ensure these were reported to the appropriate authorities. Lessons were learned when things went wrong and information shared with staff.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Recruitment processes ensured staff were suitable to work in the care service. People lived in a clean and pleasant environment. Robust infection control procedures were in place which helped keep people and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic.
People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the service. Comments included; “I would recommend this home without hesitation. It’s safe care and [family member’s] very happy there. We're completely satisfied with everything” and “I would recommend this home as you get well looked after, fed well and my room is bright and airy. There is a big family atmosphere and I feel at home here.”
Leadership and management had improved. A new manager was being recruited and the director of operations was currently running the service alongside the deputy manager. People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management team and the improvements made in the last six months. New governance systems had been implemented which included more robust provider oversight and monitoring. The provider had an ongoing action plan and was committed to ensuring improvements made were sustained and developed further.
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 inadequate (published 24 February 2021). At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.
This service has been in Special Measures since 24 February 2021. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.
Why we inspected
We carried out an announced inspection of this service on 15 and 29 January 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, safeguarding and good governance.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.
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.