Appletree House Residential Care Home

Updated 4 November 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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

Appletree House Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Appletree House Residential Care Home 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 provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included any statutory notifications received. Statutory notifications are specific pieces of information about events, which the provider is required to send to us by law. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We reviewed documentation, inspected the safety of the premises and carried out observations in communal areas. We spoke with eight people who used the service and four members of staff including the registered manager, care support staff and the administrator. We reviewed the care and medicine records for nine people and the recruitment records for three members of staff. We sought feedback from healthcare professionals and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We looked at a range of records. This included staffing rotas, training records, meeting minutes, policies and procedures, environmental safety and information relating to the governance of the service.

Updated 4 November 2022

About the service

Appletree House Residential Care Home is a care home providing personal care to up to 15 people in one adapted building. The service provides support to people with dementia and frailty associated with age. At the time of our inspection there were 12 people using the service.

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

People felt safe. People told us they were supported by staff who were kind. Risks to people had been assessed and mitigated. Staff followed safeguarding guidelines and knew how to identify and report potential signs of abuse. Medicines were managed safely.

People were complementary of the service they received. They told us the food was good and they were supported by attentive and compassionate staff. Visitors told us the care people received was very good and the staff were kind, caring and compassionate. We observed warm and positive engagement between people and staff. Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs.

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 told us they were involved in the planning and reviewing of their care. Care was personalised and care plans provided detailed information and guidance for staff. Staff provided support in line with people's preferences. People were treated with dignity and respect.

Since the last inspection significant improvements had been made to achieve the required level of compliance. Systems and process were in place to monitor the quality of the service being delivered. A new registered manager had been appointed and we received positive feedback about them from people and visitors to the service. The provider and registered manager worked with stakeholders to drive and sustain service improvements.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 27 September 2021). There were breaches of regulation and conditions were placed upon the providers registration. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.