Heathside

Updated 4 February 2022

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 was 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 COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 26 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service three hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 4 February 2022

About the service:

Heathside is a two-storey care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people, some who are living with dementia. The home is operated and managed by Warrington Community Living, a registered charity and non-profit making organisation. At the time of our inspection 31 people were living at the service.

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

Staff told us they received support on a daily basis and had training, learning and development opportunities. However, when we reviewed the training matrix, not all staff had completed ‘refresher’ training courses. We have made a recommendation regarding this.

Safe recruitment procedures were in place; people received a safe level of care by staff who had appropriately been recruited. Staffing levels were assessed according to the dependency of people living at the home, we did receive mixed feedback in relation to the numbers of levels of staff employed at Heathside.

Heathside offered spacious communal and garden areas for people to enjoy, other areas of the home required attention. The registered manager showed us extensive refurbishment plans that were underway.

People’s level of risk was established from the outset. People received the required level of support and levels of risk were appropriately managed.

Safeguarding and whistleblowing processes were in place; staff were familiar with such procedures and understood the importance of keeping people safe.

Medicine procedures were safely in place. People received their medication as instructed by staff who were appropriately trained and had their competency levels checked.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People received person-centred care by staff who were familiar with their support needs. Staff were observed providing kind, compassionate and friendly care.

We received positive feedback about the variety of different activities that were arranged for people living at Heathside. People’s suggestions were listened to and the ‘activities team’ tried to plan activities that were tailored around people’s likes and interests.

There was an up to date complaints policy in place. Complaints were monitored and reviewed and responded to in line with company policy.

Measures were in place to monitor the quality and safety of care people received. Quality assurance processes were effectively in place and helped to assess the provision of care being delivered.

People were involved in the provision of care that was being delivered. People had the opportunity to attend ‘resident meetings’, consultations were taking place in relation to the refurbishments plans and regular newsletters were circulated as a way of keeping people informed.

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’ (published 11 January 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.