Heartlands

Heartlands is a care home providing personal and nursing care to people aged 65 and over, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 64 people lived at the service. The accommodation is organised into three floors, each with its own communal areas.

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

People and relatives’ views were mixed about staffing levels. Most relatives we spoke to on the nursing unit felt they should be more staff, whereas this was not raised as an issue on the residential units. Our observations were staff were available to meet peoples’ needs and they did not have to wait to receive their care.

Records to assess and monitor risks were not always updated in a timely way or fully completed, however staff knew people well. People told us they felt safe and received their medicines safely. Safeguarding systems and practices protected people from abuse. Accidents and incidents were recorded and followed through with the appropriate action to minimise the risk or re-occurrence.

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. Most people told us the food was good and they had a choice of meals, although some people were not clear they could have culturally appropriate food. Records needed to be clearer to ensure people were receiving the correct support to maintain healthy weights. Staff had received the appropriate training and had the skills to support people effectively.

The home was spacious, well-decorated and clean. There were some excellent facilities within the home such as a cinema room, shop, pub and craft room. The environment was accessible for people living with dementia.

People were treated with respect and dignity and staff were patient and kind with people. Relatives were made to feel welcome in the home and people were involved in decisions about their care.

There were several different activities on offer seven days a week including regular trips into the community. End of life care wishes were discussed with people and their relatives. People’s communication needs were assessed and staff supported people to communicate in an accessible way. People and relatives felt confident to raise a complaint but not all relatives were happy with the outcome of their complaints.

There had been a recent change in management and the deputy manager had moved into the manager post. Most people and relatives told us the home was well organised although some concerns were raised about the nursing unit. The systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service were in place but not consistent.

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 requires improvement (published 25 August 2018). Since this rating was awarded the provider has altered its legal entity. The service remains rated requires improvement.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to regulation 17, good governance at this inspection.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.