Birch Avenue

Updated 18 May 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

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

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced. Inspection activity started on 2 May 2023 and ended on 3 May 2023. We visited the service on 2 May 2023.

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, professionals who work with the service and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with 8 people who used the service and 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 12 members of staff including the clinical nurse manager, deputy manager, registered nurses, student nurses who were on placement, care workers and ancillary staff. We observed staff interacting with people who used the service, to help us understand their experience. We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people's care records and 4 medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 18 May 2023

About the service

Birch Avenue is a one-storey purpose built home and provides nursing care for 40 older people some of whom are living with dementia. The home has four, ten bedded, 'bungalows' with an interlinking corridor surrounding a large garden and patio area. Each unit has a communal lounge and dining room. All 40 bedrooms are single and have en-suite facilities. There is a central kitchen and laundry.

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

People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Risks in relation to people's care were identified and risk assessments detailed information about how risks could be mitigated. Accidents and incidents were recorded and analysed to identify any trends or patterns. This helped to mitigate future risks and ensured lessons were learned. The home was clean, and people were protected from the risk and spread of infections.

There were enough staff available to assist people to meet their needs in a timely way. Staffing numbers had recently been increased on each bungalow which staff said had significantly improved the time they were able to spend with and support each person. The provider had a safe recruitment process which assisted them in recruiting suitable staff.

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's needs were assessed, and care delivered in line with best practice. Care plans and supporting documentation included people's individual choices and preferences.

Throughout the inspection we observed staff interacting with people in a caring and considerate way. We saw staff gaining people's consent prior to carrying out care tasks. There was a homely atmosphere in the home and people appeared comfortable, happy, and relaxed. People and relatives, we spoke with were complimentary about the care and support they or their family member received.

The management team carried out regular audits to ensure the quality of the service was maintained. There were good systems in place for communicating with people, their relatives, and staff to collect their views and feedback regarding people’s care and support.

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 good, published on 29 June 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Birch Avenue on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.