Archived: Wild Acres Care Home

Updated 5 January 2017

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection was carried out by one inspector on 13 December 2016. The visit was unannounced and was a comprehensive inspection. At our last inspection in June 2014 we found that the service was meeting all the standards we reviewed.

Prior to the inspection we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). A PIR is a form we ask the provider to complete with information about the service and any improvements they plan to make. We looked at the PIR and all the information we held about the service. Before the inspection we contacted sixteen health and social care professionals including local authority care commissioners to obtain feedback from them about the service. We received four responses. We checked notifications we had received. Notifications are sent to the Care Quality Commission by the service to inform us of important events that relate to the service.

During the inspection we spoke with four members of staff in private, and in addition spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager and the provider. We also spoke briefly with an additional three members of the care staff throughout the course of the visit and provided all staff on duty with the opportunity to speak with the inspector in private. In addition, we spoke with one of the kitchen assistants, the maintenance man, the operations director and the person responsible for recruitment for the provider. We were able to meet in private with a visiting district nurse familiar with the home and the GP responsible for the health care needs of residents and who visited the home on a weekly basis. We spoke in private with three people and three relatives about the quality of the service that was provided. We observed staff supporting people throughout the course of the inspection and spent time observing the lunchtime period and activities.

We reviewed the care plans and associated records for four people receiving a service. We examined a sample of other records relating to the management of the service including staff training, health and safety, complaints, surveys and various monitoring and audit tools. We looked at the recruitment records for three of the most recently employed care staff members.

Updated 5 January 2017

This inspection took place on 13 December 2016 and was unannounced. Wild Acres Care Home is a residential care home for older people some of whom live with some degree of dementia. The home is a single storey building with some bedrooms having ensuite facilities. It can provide accommodation and personal care for up to twenty six people at any one time. On the day of the inspection twenty six people were using the service with one person in hospital.

At the time of the inspection there was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The provider completed thorough recruitment checks for potential members of staff. Maintenance and checks of the property and equipment were carried out promptly and within required timescales. Checks on fire alarms and emergency lighting had been completed in accordance with the provider’s policy and manufacturer’s instructions.

There was a system to ensure people received their medicines safely and appropriately. The quality of the service was monitored by the registered manager and the provider through gaining regular feedback from people and their representatives and auditing of the care provided. The provider had plans in place to deal with emergencies that may arise.

People who use the service were able to give their views about the quality of the care provided. Relatives, community professionals and local authority representatives told us they were very happy with the service they received from Wild Acres Care Home and felt that people were safe in the home. The service had systems in place to manage risks to both people and staff. Staff had good awareness of how to keep people safe by reporting concerns promptly through procedures they understood well. Information and guidance was available for them to use if they had any concerns.

People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They were involved in decisions about their care as far as they were able and relatives/representatives told us they had been asked for their views on the service for particular individuals. People’s care and support needs were reviewed regularly. The registered manager ensured that up to date information was communicated promptly to staff through a range of regular meetings and supervision.

Staff felt very well supported by the registered manager and deputy manager and said they were listened to if they raised concerns and any required action was taken without delay. We found an open and positive culture in the service and staff were comfortable to approach the registered manager or any member of the management team for advice and guidance.

Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to gaining consent before providing support and care. People’s right to make decisions was protected. New staff received an induction and training in core topics.