Updated 25 February 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
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors 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
Chaucer House 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. Chaucer House 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 not a registered manager in post.
There was an acting manager in post, and the provider had recently recruited a manager who was due to start in the coming months.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
Inspection activity started on 11th January 2023 and ended on 13th January 2023.
What we did before the inspection
To plan this inspection, we used information we had received, such as enquiries, complaints, notifications and whistleblowing. 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 10 people living at the service, 10 relatives and 6 members of staff. We also sought feedback from professionals including dieticians, chiropodists and the local authority.
We spent time observing staff carrying out tasks such as medication rounds. We also observed interactions between people and staff. 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 spoke to care assistants, senior carers, the chef, maintenance and housekeeping staff as well as management and representatives of the provider. Following initial conversations with management, we chose people living at the service to case track so we could get an understanding of people with different needs and their journey through the service. This involved looking at a variety of documents, including initial assessments when people came to live at Chaucer House, care plans, risk assessments, reviews, capacity assessments, referrals and guidance from professionals.
We also looked at staff recruitment information, including agency staff, training records, audits, action plans, incidents, accidents, complaints, compliments, staff meetings, surveys and their analysis.