Ford House

Updated 11 March 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 care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 2 February 2021 and was unannounced.

Updated 11 March 2021

Ford House is registered to provide accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 46 people. There were 42 older people living in the service at the time of the inspection.

This unannounced inspection took place on 7 September 2017.

At the last comprehensive inspection on 19 and 26 July 2016, we found there was a breach of two regulations. We undertook a focussed inspection on 21 March 2017 where we found that improvements had been made in line with their action plan and the breaches had been met.

During this inspection we found that improvements have been maintained and further improvements have been made to the overall quality of the service

There was a registered manager in post at the time of this inspection. 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.

Although care plans were brief, staff knew how to meet people’s current needs. Staff were trained, supported and supervised to do their job. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.

Risk assessments provided information for staff about how to manage risks to people. Accidents and incidents were being reviewed to reduce the risk of any reoccurrence.

People received their prescribed medicines in a timely manner and medicines were stored and disposed of in a safe way.

The provider had a recruitment process in place and staff were only employed within the service after all essential safety checks had been satisfactorily completed. Procedures were in place to keep people safe and staff were knowledgeable about reporting any incident of harm. People were looked after by enough staff to support them with their individual needs.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005, Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. The provider was acting in accordance with the requirements of the MCA including the DoLS. The provider was able to demonstrate how they supported people to make decisions about their care. Where people were unable to do so, there were records showing that decisions were being taken in their best interests. DoLS applications had been submitted to the appropriate authority. This meant that people did not have restrictions placed on them without the correct procedures being followed.

People were provided with a varied choice of meals. When necessary, people were given any extra help they needed to make sure that they had enough to eat and drink to keep them healthy.

Staff referred people appropriately to healthcare professionals.

Audits were regularly carried out to assess what improvements were needed to improve the quality of the care people received. Action plans had been put in place as needed.