Hollymead House

Updated 4 December 2020

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.

This inspection took place on 11 November 2020 and was announced.

Updated 4 December 2020

About the service:

Hollymead House is a residential care home providing personal care to 30 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 35 people. People living at Hollymead House had conditions associated with older age, with the majority of people living an active independent lifestyle. Hollymead House accommodates people in one adapted building.

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

People received care and support that was safe. One person said, "I am very safe here, they take very good care of me." A relative said “I am very pleased my mother lives here. We have no worries about her care and know she is safe.”

People were supported by staff who received training and were able to identify and respond appropriately to abuse. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs. The registered manager used a dependency tool to determine staffing levels. Information was reviewed following falls or changes in a person's health condition.

Training and observation of staff practice as well as supervision ensured staff were competent in their roles. People enjoyed a healthy balanced and nutritious diet based on their preferences and health needs. 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 received care from staff who were kind and caring. People told us staff always respected their privacy and dignity. Staff supported people to be fully involved in their care planning and reviews.

Records showed the service responded to concerns and complaints and learnt from the issues raised.

People told us the service was well-organised and commented on the pleasant working atmosphere amongst staff. The provider and registered manager provided a visible presence. People were encouraged in their involvement and development of Hollymead House.

Staff felt well supported in their roles. Staff meetings provided opportunities to reflect on people’s care and anything that might be done differently. A system of audits monitored and measured all aspects of the service and were used to drive improvement. The registered manager worked proactively with the NHS and Social Services to proactively meet peoples care needs.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update:

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 14 June 2018) and there were two breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from Requires Improvement to Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hollymead House 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.