The Grove Residential Home

Updated 22 January 2021

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 care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 2 December 2020 and was announced.

Updated 22 January 2021

This inspection took place on 8 and 9 May 2018 and was unannounced. There were no concerns at the last inspection of December 2015. The Grove provides accommodation and personal care for up to 36 people and supports those who have a dementia. At the time of our visit there were 33 people living at the service. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

At our last inspection, we rated the service Good. At this inspection, we found evidence continued to support this rating and in addition, we found the service had improved to outstanding in some areas.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We were introduced to people throughout our visits and they welcomed us. People were relaxed, comfortable and confident in their home. Staff involved in this inspection demonstrated a genuine passion for the roles they performed and their individual responsibilities. Visions and plans for the future were understood and shared across the staff team. They embraced new initiatives with the support of the provider, registered manager, deputy and colleagues. They continued to look at the needs of people who used the service and ways to improve these so staff felt able to make positive changes.

People experienced a lifestyle that met their individual expectations, capacity and preferences. There was a strong sense of empowering people wherever possible and providing facilities where independence would be encouraged and celebrated. People’s health, well-being and safety were paramount. The registered manager listened to people and staff to ensure there were enough staff on duty to meet people's needs. They demonstrated their responsibilities in recognising changing circumstances within the service and used a risk based approach to help ensure the staffing levels and skill mix was effective.

Staff had the knowledge and skills they needed to carry out their roles effectively. They enjoyed attending training sessions and sharing what they had learnt with colleagues. There was an emphasis on teamwork and unison amongst the staff at all levels. People were supported to enjoy a healthy, nutritious, balanced diet whilst promoting and respecting choice. The registered manager understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). For people who were assessed as not having capacity, records showed that their advocates or families and healthcare professionals were involved in making decisions.

Staff had an excellent awareness of individuals' needs and treated people in a warm and respectful manner. They were knowledgeable about people's lives before they started using the service. People received appropriate care and support because there were effective systems in place to assess, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate people's needs. People and family were involved throughout these processes. This ensured their needs were clearly identified and the support they received was meaningful and personalised. Regular monitoring and reviews meant that referrals had been made to appropriate health and social care professionals and where necessary care and support had been changed to accurately reflect people's needs.

People and relative feedback was a vital part of the quality assurance system either through annual surveys, ‘residents’ meetings, complaints or reviews. People, relatives and staff were listened to and action was taken to make improvements where required. The registered manager monitored and audited the quality of care provided striving to meet the ever-changing needs of people living in the home.