Alderwood Care Home

Updated 5 August 2022

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.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an 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

Alderwood is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity was carried out between 9 and 28 June 2022. Further inspection activity was completed via telephone and by email, including speaking with people who used the service, relatives and reviewing additional evidence and information sent to us by the provider.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from professionals who worked with the service, including Salford local authority. The provider was 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. The last submission was made in 2019 and we will ask the home to update this in due course with further details.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records, a selection of medicine administration records (MAR) and three staff recruitment files. A variety of other records relating to the management of the service were also considered as part of the inspection.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found following our site visit.

Updated 5 August 2022

About the service

Alderwood is a care home located in Salford, Greater Manchester and can accommodate up to 39 older people. The home is operated by Hill Care 1 Limited. At the time of this inspection there were 27 people living at the home.

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

Accurate and contemporaneous records were not always maintained regarding people’s care. This included medication records for topical creams, food/drink, re-positioning charts, pressure relieving mattresses and thickened fluids. This meant we couldn’t always determine if people were receiving the care they required. We have also made two recommendations regarding staffing levels and governance systems within the home.

People who used the service and relatives said they felt the service was safe. Staff were recruited safely and carried out routine COVID-19 testing. There was enough personal protective equipment (PPE) available which people confirmed was always worn.

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.

There were systems in place for people who used the service and staff to provide feedback about their care through audits, surveys and meetings. Staff spoken with during the inspection told us they felt the service was well-led and enjoyed their roles. The registered manager was aware record keeping needed to be improved and had identified this through audits.

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

Rating at last inspection

This last rating for the service was good (published 28 January 2020).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident where a person using the service died. This incident is being reviewed by CQC outside of this inspection process. As a result, this inspection did not examine the specific circumstances of the incident. The information CQC received about the incident indicated concerns about people’s skin integrity. This inspection examined those risks which could effect other people living at the home.

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.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements with regards to record keeping. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

The overall rating for the service is requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

Follow up

We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.