Hernes Nest House

Updated 12 September 2019

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.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Hernes Nest House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us 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 spoke with five people who used the service, four relatives and a visiting professional about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the provider , registered manager, deputy manager, and three care staff. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, and complaints were also reviewed.

Updated 12 September 2019

About the service

Hernes Nest House is a care home without nursing which is registered to care for 21 people. Accommodation and personal care are provided to older people requiring support with Dementia, physical disabilities and sensory impairments. At the time of our inspection there were 19 people living at the home.

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

People at the home told us they felt safe and protected from harm. People were cared for by staff who understood how to protect them from abuse and harm and keep them safe. People had comprehensive assessments, care plans and risk assessments which included information about their care and support needs and preferences. Staff were provided with ongoing training to meet people’s diverse needs and understood people's individual needs. People were supported with their medicines by staff using safe practice. Staff understood and followed infection control and prevention procedures. Incidents and accidents were investigated, and actions were taken to prevent recurrence.

People’s care and support was planned and delivered in line with current best practice guidance and legislation. Care was delivered by staff who were well trained and knowledgeable about people's needs and wishes. 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.

People received personalised care from staff who knew their needs and wishes. People's concerns were listened to and action was taken to improve the service as a result. Where improvements were identified, there were plans in place to ensure these were made . People could remain at Hernes Nest House to receive end of life care, provided by the management team and staff, which was supported by external professionals.

The management team were open, approachable and focussed on providing person centred care. The management team and staff engaged well with other organisations and had developed positive relationships. The registered manager strived to continuously improve their own skills and knowledge. The provider had processes to monitor and improve the quality of the service and there was a culture of openness and of reflection and learning.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 27 April 2017).

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.