About the service Abbotts Wood Manor is a purpose built residential care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 60 people. The building was built and opened during the COVID-19 pandemic and as such has been designed to include safe visiting areas. The building is divided into four separate units over two floors, each of which has separate facilities. Only two units are currently open, one of which specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 22 people living at the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Systems were in place to assess risk and people were protected from the risk of abuse. People received safe and appropriate care as staff had the skills and training to meet people’s individual health needs. Staffing levels were good, and people told us staff were always available when they needed them. Recruitment was ongoing and staffing levels were regularly reviewed. Medicine systems and processes were safe. All aspects of care delivery were audited and reviewed, if any issues or concerns arose, these were investigated, and actions taken. All learning was shared and taken forward to improve future practice.
People’s needs were assessed and regularly reviewed to ensure their individual needs continued to be met. Emphasis was placed on ensuring maximum involvement of people and their next of kin if appropriate to ensure they were part of all decisions made. Management and staff worked closely with other external health providers to ensure collaborative consistent care was provided.
Peoples nutritional needs were met. Staff were aware if anyone had specific dietary needs. People had choice and were involved in menu planning and encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet.
Abbots Wood Manor was purpose built; this meant every room had its own ensuite facilities. People’s rooms were personalised and homely. People told us they had bought in their own items of furniture, ornaments and pictures.
The home had a relaxed atmosphere. People were seen to spend their time how they chose. We saw people approach staff on a number of occasions for a chat. Staff responded in a kind and caring manner, ensuring they listened to people and any requests and queries were responded to promptly. People were spoken to in a dignified and respectful manner. Staff understood the importance of supporting people’s independence and privacy. People told us, “The staff are great, they are here when you need them, but when I want to be in my room and sit quietly, they respect that.”
There was a busy and varied activity programme. People received a monthly and weekly activity planner. People spoke positively about the activities and were able to pick and choose those they attended. Feedback was sought from people and activities were tailored to meet people’s hobbies and interests. People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them. People had also formed friendship groups within the home.
There was a complaints procedure in place. People and relatives were aware how to make a complaint if needed. People told us they felt able to raise any issues or concerns however minor, and these were responded to and resolved. One staff member told us, “Abbots Wood is peoples’ home, anything even if its little I can do to make it better for them and make them happy, I am happy to do it.“ All feedback was valued and used to make improvements.
People’s end of life needs were met. Staff took time to get to know people and their relatives to ensure they knew peoples end of life wishes and to offer care and support. Information was recorded in care documentation to ensure peoples individual wishes and preferences were known by all staff.
Quality and assurance systems were in place to ensure high standards of care and support were always maintained. Audits were completed and these were overseen by the organisation to ensure the provider had a clear picture of the running of the home. The registered manager and clinical lead had oversight of all areas of the day to day running of the home. This helped identify areas of strength and any areas for development. Managers and staff were clear about their roles and worked together to ensure people’s needs were met. Meetings had taken place for staff and to gain people’s feedback. Further meetings had been planned as the number of people and staff grew. Staff felt supported by a clear management structure and received supervision and support when needed.
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.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This service was registered with us on 19 January 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
We inspected this service as they not yet been rated.
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. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.