Updated 21 July 2022
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.
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
One inspector and an Expert by Experience carried out the inspection. 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
Rusthall Respite 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.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
We telephoned the Registered Manager on the morning of our first inspection day to inform them we would be visiting. This was because the service is only open when people are receiving a respite service. The second inspection date was arranged with the Registered Manager to enable us to return to the service at a time when more people were available and happy to speak with us.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed all information we held about the service. This included information received from our partner agencies and looking at the statutory notifications that had been submitted. Notifications are changes, events and incidents that the service must inform us about.
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. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We communicated with four people who used the service and spoke with nine relatives about their experience of the care provided. Where people were unable to provide verbal feedback, we used different ways of communicating to understand their experience of the service. This included using Makaton and pictures and undertaking observations of their body language and engagement with staff.
We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager.
We reviewed three people’s care and medicine records and looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. The provider sent us a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including meeting minutes, training data and quality assurance records.