Heatherbrook

Updated 10 March 2020

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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by an inspector, an assistant inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Heatherbrook 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 registered manager in place at the time of inspection. However, there was an acting manager in place who was in the process of applying to register with the Care Quality Commission. The registered manager and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we already held about this service. This included details of its registration and inspection reports from the previous provider. We reviewed notifications of serious incidents the provider had sent us. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people who used the service and six relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 14 members of staff including the provider, acting manager, operations manager, deputy manager, head of housekeeping, head chef, catering assistant, activity coordinator, a cleaner, a registered nurse, a senior care assistant and three care assistants.

We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. 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 supervision records for staff and updated polices.

Updated 10 March 2020

About the service

Heatherbrook is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 34 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 45 people. The premises are a purpose-built care home built over three floors. Only the first two floors are used for the provision of care.

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

Procedures were in place to help protect people from the risk of abuse, and staff understood their responsibility for safeguarding people. Risk assessments were in place which provided guidance about how to support people in a safe way. There were enough staff working at the service to meet people's needs and robust staff recruitment practices were in place. The service sought to learn lessons when accidents and incidents occurred. Steps had been taken to protect people from the risk of infection. Medicines were mostly managed safely.

People's needs were assessed before they commenced using the service to ensure those needs could be met. Staff received training and supervision to support them in carrying out their role effectively. The design and layout of the building was suitable for the people using it. People had a choice of what they ate and drank. The service worked with other agencies and professionals to support people's health care needs. 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.

People told us staff were kind and caring and treated them respectfully. Staff had a good understanding of how to promote people's privacy, dignity and independence. The provider sought to meet people's needs in relation to equality and diversity.

Care plans were in place which set out how to meet people's needs. People and their relatives were involved in developing these plans. People had access to a range of social and leisure activities, and we saw people enjoying these on the day of our inspection. Complaints procedures were in place. Information was provided in various formats to help make it accessible to people. End of life care plans were in place and the provider worked with other agencies to meet people's needs at the end of their lives.

Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place to help drive improvements at the service. Some of these included seeking the views of people who used the service and others. The service had links with other agencies to help develop best practice.

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 13 September 2017). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.