Bank Hall Care Centre

Updated 8 November 2022

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

One inspector and an expert by experience undertook the inspection on the first day. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. One inspector visited the service on the second day.

Service and service type

Bank Hall Care Centre is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Bank Hall Care Centre is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced on the first day.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service, such as notifications. These are events that happen in the service that the provider is required to tell us about. We also sought feedback from the local authority.

The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We observed how staff provided support for people to help us better understand their experiences of the care they received. We spoke with 6 people living in the home, 6 relatives, 7 care staff, the cook, the registered manager and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with a visiting healthcare professional.

We carried out a tour of the building and reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s electronic care documentation, 3 staff files and a sample of people’s medication records. We also reviewed a range of records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

The registered manager and nominated individual sent us information and additional documentation in response to the findings of the inspection.

Updated 8 November 2022

About the service

Bank Hall Care Centre is a residential care home providing personal care for up to a maximum of 56 people. The service provides support to older people and people with dementia. At the time of our inspection, there were 36 people living in the home. Accommodation is provided in two interlinked buildings known as Bank Hall and Scarlett House.

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

People told us they felt safe living in the home, and they were happy with the service provided. Staff understood how to protect people from harm or discrimination and had access to safeguarding adults’ procedures. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and ensure their safety. The provider had an appropriate procedure for the recruitment of new staff. Minor shortfalls in the pre-employment checks were addressed immediately by the registered manager. Individual and environmental risks had been assessed and managed. People were protected from the risks associated with the spread of infection. The premises had a good standard of cleanliness throughout the building.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People's needs were assessed prior to them moving into the home. There was ongoing training for all staff. Staff were supported with regular supervisions and were given the opportunity to attend regular meetings. People were supported to eat a nutritionally balanced diet and to maintain their health.

People were happy with the way the service was managed and staff told us they enjoyed working at the home. The registered manager and nominated individual carried out a series of audits and checks to monitor the quality of the service and help ensure people received safe and effective care.

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

Rating at the last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 16 June 2021). The last comprehensive inspection of the service was published 15 May 2018.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the management of medicines, staff and the home; the cleanliness of the home; record keeping; the quality of the food and staff training. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during the inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe, effective and well-led sections of this full report. This report only covers our findings in relation to these key questions. For those key questions not inspected, we considered 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 at this inspection.

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Bank Hall Care Centre 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.