New Treetops

Updated 3 February 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 the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 21 January 2021 and was announced.

Updated 3 February 2021

This unannounced comprehensive inspection took place on 8 April 2018 and was carried out by one adult social care inspector. We last inspected this home on 27 October 2015 when it was rated as ‘Good’ overall and in every key question.

New Treetops is a ‘care home’. 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. New Treetops provides respite accommodation and personal care for up to six adults at a time who have learning disabilities. Nursing care is not provided by staff at New Treetops. This is provided by the community nursing service. At the time of this inspection there were five people staying at the home.

The service had a registered manager. 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.’ The registered manager also managed another care home run by the provider and shared their work week between the two homes.

At our last inspection in October 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection in April 2018 we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Although the care service had been developed and designed prior to Building the Right Support and Registering the Right Support guidance being published, it followed these values and principles. These values related to people with learning disabilities using the service living as ordinary a life as any citizen. They achieved this by promoting enablement, independence, choice and inclusion. They demonstrated how they delivered person-centred care and how they ensured people had easy access to the local community.

New Treetops provided people with learning disabilities and physical health needs with respite care in the mornings, evenings and weekends. During the day in the week people attended day services and New Treetops was closed. At the time of our inspection five people were staying in the service on respite. We inspected on a Sunday and therefore people were there for the entire day, although one person went back to their own home during the day. People’s level of need was varied, with some people being independently mobile and others needing support to mobilise.

Staff treated people with kindness and respect. The atmosphere at the home was jovial with people clearly enjoying staff’s company. Staff knew people’s preferences and communicated with people using their preferred methods of communication, such as signing. We found staff had caring attitudes towards people and spoke highly of them, their personalities and qualities.

Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and put it into practice. Where people had been unable to make a particular decision at a particular time, their capacity had been assessed and best interests decisions had taken place and had been recorded. Where people were being deprived of their liberty for their own safety the registered manager had made Deprivation of Liberty Safeguard (DoLS) applications to the local authority.

People who stayed in New Treetops were protected from risks relating to possible abuse, to their needs and their health conditions. Staff knew how to recognise possible signs of abuse. Staff had assessed individual risks to people and had taken action to minimise these. Where accidents and incidents had taken place, these had been reviewed and action had been taken to reduce the risks of reoccurrence. Staff supported people to take their medicines safely and staff knowledge relating to the administration of medicines were regularly checked. Staff told us they felt comfortable raising concerns.

Recruitment procedures were in place to help ensure only people of good character were employed by the home. Staff underwent Disclosure and Barring Service (police record) checks before they started work. Staffing numbers at the home were sufficient to meet people’s needs. Staff had the competencies and information they required in order to meet people’s needs. Staff received sufficient training as well as regular supervision and appraisals.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink in ways that met their needs and preferences. People were supported to make choices about what they wanted to eat and encouraged to help prepare meals where they were able.

There was open and effective management at New Treetops. People, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals were asked for their feedback and suggestions in order to improve the service. There were effective systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the care and support being delivered.

Further information is in the detailed findings below