Archived: Gardenia House

Updated 17 October 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

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with CQC. 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

Before the inspection we reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This includes details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse. 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people and three relatives. We spoke with eight staff and the registered manager. 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 multiple medication records. We looked at one staff file in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 17 October 2019

About the service

Gardenia House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 22 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 25 older people.

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

There was a lack of guidance for staff to follow when people were at risk of choking. Whilst no-one had been harmed there was a risk staff may not know what action to take. This was addressed during the inspection.

People told us they felt safe living at Gardenia House. Their relatives told us they were reassured their loved one’s always had support at hand when needed. People continued to be protected from the risks of abuse and discrimination. Risks to people’s health and well-being were assessed and reviewed. People told us there were enough staff to provide their care when they needed it. Staff had been safely recruited and completed regular training to keep up to date with best practice.

People lived in a service that was kept clean and tidy. People were able to personalise their rooms with their own belongings to make it ‘home from home’. People chose where they wanted to spend their time and had access to a secure garden.

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 health continued to be monitored and staff worked closely with people’s health care professionals to provide the support people needed. People told us they enjoyed their food and there was always plenty of choice. They were encouraged to maintain relationships with people who were important to them and there were no visiting restrictions.

People and their relatives told us staff were compassionate, kind and caring. They had built strong, trusting relationships. Throughout the inspection people and staff laughed and chatted with each other. Staff knew people and their relatives well and made sure people were as involved as possible in making decisions about their care.

People did not have any complaints about the quality of service and felt Gardenia House was well-led. Relatives told us they were kept informed of any changes in their loved one’s health. People, their families and the local community were involved in open days and coffee mornings. There were regular visits by children from a local primary school.

Many staff had worked at the service for a long time and there was a strong team ethos. This provided people with consistency. A relative commented, “Continuity of staff is important for feeling valued and secure”. Effective checks and audits were completed and action was taken when shortfalls were identified.

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 (report published 1 March 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.