Newlands

Updated 3 March 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 3 inspectors and one 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

Newlands is a ‘care home’ with nursing care. 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. 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.

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 (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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 3 people who lived in the service, 12 family members, 9 staff members by telephone, the registered manager and other staff members during the inspection.

We observed support being provided on our visits to Newlands and viewed the home environment.

We reviewed 5 people’s care records, 7 people’s medication records and 3 staff recruitment files. We reviewed a range of records regarding the management of the service, such as health and safety records, quality assurance checks, policies and procedures.

Updated 3 March 2023

About the service

Newlands is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 50 people. The service provides support for adults, including people with living with dementia and mental health needs. At the time of our inspection there were 42 people using the service.

The care home has three separate wings, each of which has separate adapted facilities. One wing is for people who are elderly and frail, one wing is for people living with dementia, and there is another wing for men who are living with dementia who have additional needs.

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

People supported in this home and their family members told us they were very satisfied with the care this service provides. One family member summed it up as, “Newlands have got it right, you would think that it is their own family they are looking after.”

We found people were safe. There were effective systems in place to help ensure the safety of people living and working in the home. Though there had been minor gaps in medicine records, these were addressed by the registered manager during the inspection.

People received consistent quality care because the registered manager followed the provider’s auditing and quality procedures. People found the registered manager to be approachable and responsive.

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.

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 7 October 2017).

Previous recommendations

At our last comprehensive inspection we recommended the safe management of medications and quality assurance management systems were improved. At this inspection we found the provider had improved both, although there were still improvements to be made regarding medicines management during the inspection.

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of medicines, people’s care needs, staffing and management practices. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

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. We found no evidence during this inspection people were at risk of harm from the concerns raised. See the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

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 Newlands on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Recommendations

We recommend the registered manager reviews and adapts their medicine audit practices in line with best practice and reviews medication errors for trends and themes. The registered manager had already started doing this during our inspection.

We recommend the provider review, with their pharmacy, the completion of medication administration records (MAR) records to ensure following best practice.

Follow up

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