Crystal Hall

Updated 2 February 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

We received information of concern about infection prevention and visiting arrangements at this service. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 12 January 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 2 February 2022

About the service

Crystal Hall is a care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 67 people with a range of physical and mental health needs. At the time of the inspection there were 64 people living in the home.

The care home accommodates people across three separate units, each of which has separate adapted facilities. One of the wings specialises in providing care to people living with complex physical health needs.

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

People who lived at the home received good care and told us they felt safe. Staff knew how to manage risks and identify signs and symptoms of abuse and who to report concerns to. However, some significant incidents had not been reported to the local safeguarding team and to the Care Quality Commission. Accidents and incidents had been recorded and medical attention sought where required. Improvements were required to ensure post falls observations were documented. We made a recommendation about this. People’s medicines were managed safely. People were protected through robust recruitment procedures and told us there were enough staff to respond to their needs. People lived in well maintained and clean environment and were protected from the risk of infections.

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 were asked to consent to care. Staff had received training and were knowledgeable about the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were supported by staff who were trained and had the skills to provide effective care. Staff felt very supported by the registered manager and management team. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and met. Staff worked with community health professionals to ensure people received effective care.

People told us staff treated them with dignity and were respectful. Our observations supported these views. One person told us, “The staff listen and understand my needs, they always help me, they know what’s what.” We saw lots of positive interactions between people and staff, no one was rushed, and activities were person-centred and inclusive. One person told us, “The staff are always very helpful and always ask what I need.”

Care plans contained personalised information on people’s health and communication needs plus their likes and dislikes. All care plans provided to staff were up to date and reviews were completed to show changes to people’s needs. We noted some review records were brief and not detailed to show what had been reviewed. There was a significant of emphasis on ensuring people were provided with activities of their choice and supported to keep active in the community. People were able to make complaints concerning their care. The provider had a policy on supporting people towards the end of their life however not everyone had been offered the opportunity to share their preferences. We made a recommendation about this.

The service was well-led. People, their relatives and staff spoke positively about the registered manager and management team. There was a positive culture throughout the service which focused on providing care that was individualised and promoted independence.

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 24 June 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.