Background to this inspection
Updated
23 March 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type: Arden Park is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection:
The inspection visit was unannounced.
What we did:
Prior to the inspection, we looked at the information we held about the service to help us plan our inspection. We assessed information the provider is required to send us annually about what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at statutory notifications the provider had sent us as required by law about events that had happened at the service. For example, serious injuries. We sought feedback from the Local Authority who worked with the service. They did not have any new information about the service to share with us.
During our inspection visit, we spoke with four people who lived at the home and three relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, five care staff, one of which, also cooked at the home.
We observed communal areas to assess how people were supported by staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records, medicine administration records, staff training records, compliments and complaints and the provider's quality assurance systems. We also reviewed three staff files to check staff had been recruited safely.
Updated
23 March 2019
About the service: Arden Park is a residential care home and provides personal care for up to 31 older people or younger adults. At the time of our inspection visit there were 27 older people living at the home some of which were living with dementia. Two of the 27 people were in hospital.
People’s experience of using this service:
¿People felt safe because there were enough staff to support their needs and to protect them from avoidable harm.
¿Recruitment checks were completed prior to staff working at the home but records of checks were not completed in sufficient detail to demonstrate staff were safe to work with people.
¿Staff received on-going support and training to be effective in their roles.
¿Staff knew people well and knew about risks associated with their care. Risk management plans mostly contained clear instructions for staff to follow.
¿The environment was clean and staff followed good infection control practices.
¿People received their medicines as prescribed and people were supported to access healthcare professionals when needed.
¿People’s needs were assessed before it was agreed for them to live at the home to ensure their needs could be met safely and effectively.
¿Work was to be completed in regards to the Accessible Information Standards to help ensure people could easily understand and access information about them and the home.
¿People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met. Staff knew about people’s specialist dietary needs and supported people when needed.
¿There were caring interactions between staff and people and care plans supported staff to provide personalised care.
¿People were supported to be independent where this was possible and their privacy and dignity was maintained.
¿Some information about people’s end of life wishes was documented to help staff ensure people’s wishes were respected at this time.
¿People were able to participate in some social activities and maintain some links with the local community.
¿ People and relatives were happy with the care they received and spoke positively about the management of the service.
¿Complaints were managed in accordance with the provider’s procedure.
¿ Systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service were mostly effective.
¿Lessons were learnt when things had gone wrong and had resulted in changes in practice where needed.
¿People had been given some opportunities to provide feedback about the service to drive improvement of the home. Responses had been listened and responded to.
At this inspection we found the evidence supported a rating of 'Good' overall. More information is in the 'Detailed Findings' below.
Rating at last inspection: At our last inspection in we rated the service as 'Requires improvement'. The report was published on 21 March 2017.
Why we inspected: This was a planned comprehensive inspection that was scheduled to take place in line with Care Quality Commission scheduling guidelines for adult social care services.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.