We carried out a review of the data available to us about Upton Mill Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Upton Mill Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Upton Mill Care Home is a 'care home' registered to provide care for up to 64 older people and people living with dementia in a purpose-built building in the town of Tetbury. At the time of our inspection 34 people lived at the home.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People, their relatives and staff consistently praised the leadership in the home and the quality of care people received.
The personalised care people received was exceptional and the service was outstandingly responsive to the needs of people and particularly to the changing needs of people living with dementia. Activities available to people were highly personalised and the home went out of their way to ensure people had a stimulating and enjoyable engagement and built solid links with the local community.
People received care and support from a consistent staffing team. Staff spoke positively about the support they received and how this promoted person centred care.
Staff understood people's needs and how to assist them to protect them from avoidable harm. Care plans and risk assessments were in place, which provided staff with guidance on how to meet people's needs and manage identified risks.
People were supported to receive their medicines safely and as prescribed.
People were supported by staff who had been trained and supported to meet their needs. People and their relatives spoke positively about the caring nature of staff.
The service had infection control processes and systems in place to reduce the risk of people contracting COVID-19.
We received positive comments from people using the service at Upton Mill Care Home and their relatives such as; “If I had a friend who wanted a home I would say it would be hard to find a better home, I absolutely love all the staff” and “Absolutely would recommend in fact have to a friend of my sister’s father. I have no hesitation recommending. They are great, so pleased [person] has had the time with them. I am completely satisfied.”
People were supported to have 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. People were consulted about meal preferences and enjoyed a varied diet. People's health care needs were met through on-going guidance and liaison with healthcare professionals.
There was a robust quality assurance system in place to ensure people received the best possible service. The registered manager worked closely with partner agencies and services to promote best practice within the service and make a positive impact to people's lives. The registered manager had developed a strong leadership team within the service to ensure the high standards implemented were sustained while they undertook responsibilities in another home.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
This service was registered with us on 18/08/2020 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 10th December 2021 and 14th December 2021.
This was a planned inspection based on the service being newly registered.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
You can read the report from our last inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link Upton Mill Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.
At the time of our inspection eight people were living or receiving respite care at Upton Mill Care Home. The home had only started admitting people since August 2020. At present the home only has one floor of the home open. Upton Mill Care Home is a purpose built care home which has a range of facilities and communal spaces for people to use, including a gym, cinema as well as lounges and dining rooms.
We found the following examples of good practice at Upton Mill Care Home.
¿ The registered manager and provider ensured staff had access to appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE). There was appropriate PPE to care for people who were at risk or may have symptoms of COVID-19 and required support to self-isolate. PPE was readily available throughout the service, including outside rooms where people were self-isolating. Specific staff were allocated to people who were self-isolating, to reduce infection transmission risks between people.
¿ All of the staff solely worked at Upton Mill Care Home which helped reduce the risk of infection into the home. Staff had received infection control and prevention training and support during the pandemic. Senior staff had completed wellbeing training to enable them to support staff who may be anxious during the COVID-19 pandemic.
¿ The provider and registered manager ensured COVID-19 testing was carried out in accordance with best practice guidance. The service ensured appropriate action was taken in the event of a positive test result. Which included self-isolation and barrier nursing as required. During our review one person was being supported with barrier nursing in accordance with current best practice.
¿ People were supported with an activities programme tailored to their needs, which included support to interact with their loved ones remotely. People enjoyed exercise activities with lifestyle and wellbeing staff. The service had engaged with the community, leading to some socially distanced activities.
¿ The service had worked with people's relatives to ensure socially distanced visits could take place whilst protecting people who were vulnerable. The service was following recognised guidance in relation to safe visiting.
¿ The registered manager had implemented robust systems to ensure there was clear oversight in relation to infection prevention and control. The registered manager and deputy manager ensured staff adhered to national guidance on PPE. There were comprehensive infection control audits and cleaning schedules in place to ensure the home remained clean and the risk of infection was reduced.
¿ The provider ensured there were weekly communications with the registered manager in relation to COVID-19. Information regarding COVID-19 and actions needed were shared with care staff.
¿ The home was kept clean and hygienic. The service had adopted a specific cleaning technology which was actively used by all staff, on top of recognised cleaning materials. The service was sharing their knowledge and experience of this cleaning product with other organisations.