Fir Close

Updated 22 April 2021

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.

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 one inspector

Service and service type

Fir Close is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

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 who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with one person who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eleven members of staff including a regional manager, registered manager, senior care workers, care workers, housekeeper and kitchen staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files 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 provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 22 April 2021

About the service

Fir close is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for people with dementia, learning disability, mental health needs or physical disabilities. The care is provided in two separate buildings. The service can support up to 40 people. There were 28 people living at the service at the time of the inspection.

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

People living at the service were safe. The risks to their safety were assessed and measures put in place to reduce them. They were supported by a caring group of staff who received appropriate training for their roles and had been safely recruited. There was enough staff to meet people’s needs.

People’s medicines were well managed, and people were protected from the risks of infection as staff followed safe infection prevention and control practices when they supported people.

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 received care in a person-centred way from a staff group who knew their needs well. Staff worked to support people with their independence and treated them with respect.

There were processes in place to maintain the quality of the service through quality monitoring processes.

The registered manager was visible and managed the service in an open and transparent way. Staff felt supported by her, and relatives felt able to raise any issues or concerns with her.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture. People received personised care. They were involved in planning their care to ensure the structure of their daily lives was as far as possible supported by their own choices.

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

The last rating for this service was Good (published 25 April 2019)

Why we inspected

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

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe, caring and well led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Fir Close on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.