The Maples

Updated 18 November 2020

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 conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.

This inspection took place on 29 October 2020 and was announced.

Updated 18 November 2020

About the service

The Maples is a residential care home providing personal care to 19 older people, some of whom were living with dementia, at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 24 people in one building.

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

People told us they felt safe. One person told us, “It’s nice, the staff are good. It’s always clean, I get what I want, and the food is good. There is nothing I’d like to change.”

People were supported by staff who understood how to manage and mitigate risks to people’s safety and wellbeing. Staff understood safeguarding and how to report any concerns. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs. Medicines and infection control were well managed. When things went wrong, lessons were learnt and methods to reduce the risk of reoccurrence were put in place.

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 needs and wishes were assessed before they moved into the home. People were supported to live healthy lives. Staff liaised with health care professionals as necessary. Specific health conditions were understood and supported. People were encouraged to have a healthy diet and had enough to eat and drink. The chef knew people, their preferences and needs well and met with people daily to offer them a choice of meals.

People were treated with kindness and care. Staff knew people well and supported and encouraged them. People were involved in make choices about their day to day support. People’s privacy was respected and independence promoted. People and their relatives felt confident to raise any concerns or complaints, and these had been responded to in a timely and effective way.

The culture of the service was positive and centred on people and their views and wishes. People, their relatives, staff and other professionals had been consulted for their views about the service. Staff worked in partnership with other professionals. Staff were well supported by the registered manager who understood their role and responsibilities. The quality assurance framework assisted the provider and registered manager to identify areas for improvement, and action was taken.

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 (24 August 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.