Springwood House Residential Care Home

Springwood House Residential Care Home is a care home providing personal care to up to 29 older people. At the time of our inspection there were 24 people using the service. Accommodation was provided in one large adapted building.

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

People living at the care home were supported by staff who knew them well and they felt safe. They knew who to tell if they had any concerns and were confident these would be addressed. People were involved in planning and reviewing the care they received. Infection prevention and control procedures were implemented to reduce the risk of infection to people. People were supported to manage their prescribed medicines safely.

The home was well run and provided a friendly, caring environment. People were involved in the planning and delivery of their care. Feedback about the home and the provider was consistently positive.

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.

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 19 December 2017).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about poor care, staffing and infection control. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.

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.

We found the following examples of good practice.

¿ The service was receiving visitors to the home/garden with robust infection control procedures in place. Visitors were provided with a designated preparation area on arrival where they received guidance, personal protective equipment (PPE) and a health screening questionnaire was completed. Each visitor also had their temperatures checked by staff.

¿ The service took steps to alleviate feelings of loneliness or isolation being experienced by people. The service had a dedicated staff member who developed activities for people and supported telephone and video calls to their relatives and friends. The registered manager also told us of other actions they had taken to boost morale of people and staff; such a yoga and poetry by zoom, caterpillar/butterfly activities, ice cream van visits and a ‘live’ band in the garden. Small gifts of appreciation for staff and contributions were received from the local community.

¿ The provider had a robust package of policies, procedures and guidance for staff. Procedures were clear and easy to follow.

¿ The service actively engaged with a programme of regular testing as soon as it was available. Additionally, any new staff and any staff returning after an absence were required to take a Covid test.

¿ There was a comprehensive cleaning schedule in place and staff were clear about what their roles and responsibilities were. Infection control audits were robust and the home was clean.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

At the last inspection on 17 September 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection the service remained Good.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

People continued to feel safe. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm. Risks to people were assessed and monitored regularly. The premises were maintained to support people to stay safe.

Staffing levels ensured that people's care and support needs were met. Safe recruitment processes were in place. Medicines were managed in line with the prescriber’s instructions. The processes in place ensured the administration and handling of medicines was suitable for the people who used the service.

Systems were in place to ensure the premises was kept clean and hygienic so people were protected by the prevention and control of infection. There were arrangements in place to make sure action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong, to improve safety across the service

People’s needs and choices were assessed and their care provided in line with up to date guidance and best practice. They received care from staff who had received training and support to carry out their roles.

People were supported to maintain their health and well-being. Staff supported people to attend appointments with healthcare professionals. People were encouraged to eat healthily and staff made sure people had enough to eat and drink.

People’s diverse needs were met by the adaptation, design and decoration of premises and they were involved in decisions about the environment. Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and they gained people's consent before providing personal care.

Staff were caring and compassionate. People were treated with dignity and respect and staff ensured their privacy was maintained. People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided. Staff had a good understanding of people's needs and preferences.

People were listened to; their views were acknowledged and acted upon. Care plans were focused on the person and their wishes and preferences. People and their relatives were involved in the assessment process and the on-going reviews of their care.

People were supported to take part in activities which they wanted to do, and encouraged to participate in events within the local community. There was a complaints procedure in place to enable people to raise complaints about the service.

The service had a positive ethos and open culture and people were involved in decisions about changes. People, their relatives and staff felt confident to approach the registered manager and felt they would be listened to. Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor and review the quality of the service which was provided.

The night routines were flexible and took into account people’s wishes. Staff responded appropriately to people’s needs.

We found that the premises were clean, safe and secure. The heating was off during the night. Some bedrooms were warmer than other rooms. People we spoke with told us they were warm enough.

There had been reports in October and November of several people been cold at times during the night. The records did not show what action had been taken to address people’s concerns. The provider assured us that they had responded to people’s concerns.

People told us that they liked the staff that supported them as they were good at their job and they understood their needs.

We found that the provider had not obtained all appropriate checks before certain staff had started work, to ensure that people were cared for by suitable and experienced staff.

People told us they had agreed to the care and treatment they received.

People said they were happy with the care and service they received, and felt that their needs were been met. One person told us '' the staff are wonderful; I wouldn't want to live anywhere else. I love the views and the garden. '' Another person told us ''the staff are helpful and considerate; I can’t fault the care I receive.’’

People told us they get the help they needed as there was usually enough staff on duty.

People received a variety of home cooked foods and were supported to have sufficient diet and fluids. People were happy with the choice of foods provided, and felt that the meals were usually appetising and well presented.

People told us that they received their medicines at the times they needed them. People were encouraged to manage their medicines themselves, where able. Arrangements were in place to ensure that that peoples medicines were handled safely and appropriately.

People’s care records were completed to a high standard and were accurate and up-to date to ensure they received safe and appropriate care.