• Care Home
  • Care home

Hooklands Care Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

West Bracklesham Drive, Bracklesham Bay, Chichester, West Sussex, PO20 8PF (01243) 670621

Provided and run by:
Hooklands Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Hooklands Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Hooklands Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.

13 October 2022

During an inspection looking at part of the service

About the service

Hooklands Care Home provides accommodation with personal care for people over the age of 65. The service is registered to accommodate up to 27 people and was providing personal care to 23 people at the time of the inspection. People have a range of care and support needs including diabetes, epilepsy and some people are living with dementia and the frailties of old age. Any nursing needs were provided by community nursing services.

Hooklands care home is a detached house located in a residential area of Bracklesham Bay. The service has been adapted over three floors.

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

Risks to people's safety had been assessed, and actions taken to mitigate them. People’s care plans detailed health needs and reflected the personalised care which was being delivered. One person told us, "They do a good job looking after my health."

People and their relatives were happy with the care they received and felt safe with the staff that were supporting them. People were safeguarded from situations in which they may experience harm. Staff knew how to identify potential harm and report concerns. People received their medicines safely from staff trained to administer them. Checks were carried out prior to staff starting work to ensure their suitability to work with people who used the service.

The culture of the service was positive, and people, relatives and staff were complimentary of the management and provider. Comments included, “Staff are listened to by the registered manager and they (the provider) phones every day and comes in regularly to ask how things are going.” And “Very approachable and nice. Always available. Can’t fault them at all.” Improvements had been made to systems and process that monitored the quality of the service being delivered and accuracy of records. Staff knew people well and provided support in line with people's preferences. People's diverse needs were catered for and they were treated with dignity and respect. People and relatives described the staff as caring and thoughtful and said they were treated with care and kindness. Feedback about the service from people and those close to them was 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.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic. At the time of the inspection one person was living at the service who had a learning disability. Staff were receiving training about communication and support for people with a learning disability. We spoke with the person, who told us they were pleased with the care and support they received.

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 10 May 2019) and there was a breach of regulation. 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

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 26 March 2019. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hooklands care home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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

26 March 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service:

Hooklands Care Home provides accommodation with personal care for people over age of 65. The service is registered to accommodate up to 27 people, and was providing personal care to 23 people at the time of the inspection. Any nursing needs were provided by community nursing services.

People’s experience of using this service:

• The service had made improvements since our last inspection. Whilst the provider had progressed quality assurance systems to review the support and care provided, there was a need to further embed and develop some areas of the quality assurance system which had missed the areas of improvement we found.

• Risk assessment’s varied in completeness and there was a lack of guidance for staff to manage assessed risks. Staff were knowledgeable about people's needs and people’s safety had not been impacted.

• People and relatives told us they were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

• Records to demonstrate how assessments and decisions had been taken varied in completeness.

• People told us and we observed that they were safe and well cared for and their independence was encouraged and maintained. Comments included, "It’s a very nice place”, “Staff are very kind” and "It's lovely here."

• People received care and support that was safe. The provider followed safe recruitment processes which ensured people were suitable for the job they were applying for and staff were of good character. All staff had received training in safeguarding vulnerable people.

• There were sufficient staff to support people with their daily living and activities.

• People received effective care and support. Staff demonstrated a clear understanding of people's needs and received training relevant to their role.

• People enjoyed a healthy balanced and nutritious diet based on their preferences and health needs.

• People received care from staff who were kind and caring. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity always. People were supported to express an opinion about the care provided and the day to day running of the service.

• People received responsive care and support which was personalised to their individual needs and promoted independence. There was guidance for staff on how to support people in line with their personal wishes, likes and dislikes. People were supported to access health care services and professionals when necessary.

• Records showed the service responded to concerns and complaints and learnt from the issues raised.

• The management team demonstrated an open and positive approach to learning and development. People told us that they felt the management team were open to suggestions, approachable and that the service was well led.

• The management team worked professionally with agencies outside of the service and ensured a transparent, honest approach to their work which was valued by others.

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

Rating at last inspection:

Since Hooklands Care Home was registered in March 2016, we have carried out three comprehensive inspections and one focused inspection at this service. On all four occasions, the service has been rated as 'Requires Improvement', with repeated issues highlighted as concerns and any improvements not always being sustained. We have taken this into account when considering the overall rating. An overall rating of 'Good', cannot be awarded when there is a breach of Regulation.

At the last inspection in October 2018 the service was rated Requires Improvement (report published on 16 November 2018). At that inspection we found the provider to be fully compliant with the Regulations, but were rated as Requires Improvement for the key questions, is the service safe and well led? The provider needed to demonstrate they could sustain the improvements from the previous inspection in January 2018 (report published 4 April 2018.)

Why we inspected:

All services rated as 'Requires improvement' are re-inspected within one year of our prior inspection. This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received and the improvements made.

Enforcement:

We found one breach of The Health and Social Care Act Regulations (2014). Further information is at the end of the report.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

12 October 2018

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We previously conducted a comprehensive inspection of Hooklands Care Home on 8 January 2018. After that inspection we received concerns in relation to the safety of people at the service regarding safeguarding practices. Social services and the provider had told us about a safeguarding concern that we needed to gather further information about to assure ourselves that people were safe.

As a result of these concerns we undertook an unannounced focused inspection of Hooklands Care Home on 12 October 2018 to look into those concerns. This report only covers our findings in relation to the ‘Safe’ and ‘Well-led’ key questions. The remaining two key questions of ‘Safe’ and ‘Well-led’ were rated as ‘Requires improvement’ at our last inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Hooklands Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

No risks, concerns or significant improvement were identified in the remaining key questions through our ongoing monitoring or during our inspection activity, so we did not inspect them. We previously inspected the service on 8 January 2018 with the key questions of ‘Effective’, ‘Caring’ and ‘Responsive’ were all rated as ‘Good.’ The remaining two key questions of ‘Safe’ and ‘Well-led’ were rated as ‘Requires improvement’ at our last inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Hooklands care home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Hooklands Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Hooklands care home accommodates up to 27 people in one adapted building. People who lived at the service require personal care and may be living with dementia or other long-term conditions. The home is situated on the coast in Bracklesham Bay. The back garden leads directly onto the beach behind, with sea views from the lounges, dining area and some bedrooms of the service. There is a lift to access bedrooms on the first and second floors. At the time of our inspection 23 people lived at the home.

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.

Safe:

Systems and processes safeguarded people from abuse and people told us they felt safe and were happy at Hooklands Care Home. However, we found that a new member of care staff who did not have previous knowledge or experience of working in the social care sector had not received a robust induction or training in relation to safeguarding. The provider and registered manager were in the process of reviewing the induction process at the time of this inspection. Other staff understood how to identify and raise safeguarding concerns appropriately.

We have made a recommendation about recruitment and induction processes for new staff.

People, care staff and health care professionals stated that there may not always be enough staff to meet the complex and person-centred needs of all people who lived at the service.

People received medicines safely but ‘As required’ (PRN) protocols and information for staff for when these medicines could be used for people required further detail and guidance, particularly when the PRN medicine was used for the management of behaviours that challenge. For example, while risks to people were assessed with actions for staff to take to reduce risks. People and staff were not always protected by practices that avoided the risks of physical harm to them. Whilst care and management staff worked to identify and reduce the risks of challenging behaviours, ‘As required’ guidance for when prescribed medicines could be given to reduce behaviours was not always detailed enough to provide adequate information for staff. In addition to this, the registered manager felt that external health and social care professionals had not always provided adequate intervention to reduce these risks to more manageable levels.

Some environmental risks had not been addressed at the time of this inspection. This included the kitchen fridge temperatures not always being maintained at recommended safe levels. There was also a leak in the laundry room roof which presented a risk with rain water leaking into electrical ceiling fittings. However, the registered provider told us these had been resolved following the inspection.

Measures were implemented to reduce and manage the risks of infection with a dedicated ‘lead’ member of staff to oversee infection control. The home was clean, tidy and free from any unpleasant odours.

Systems were in place to monitor and review accidents and incidents at the home and actions were taken to minimise reoccurrence of incidents when trends were seen. This meant that lessons were learned when things went wrong in practice.

Well-led:

The organisational staff sickness policy was not always followed in practice. We found for one member of care staff, that they had not received a return to work interview following sickness and so may not have been fit to return to work. This demonstrated that organisational policies and procedures may not be consistently followed.

Systems were in place to audit the quality and safety of the service. This was collated and analysed by the registered manger. Independent external oversight was also provided by a consultant who the registered provider used to support the registered manager and to conduct independent monthly audits of the service.

Care staff told us that there was a person-centred culture at the home and that they were supported by the management team and were involved in the day to day running of the service. People also confirmed they attended ‘resident’s meetings’ to express their views about the service they received at Hooklands Care Home.

The management team worked with external regulatory and health and social care professionals openly, although more proactive contact was encouraged by a community admission avoidance matron for those people who displayed behaviours that may challenge.

We have made a recommendation about the provider proactively involving healthcare professionals with the day to day management of behaviours that may challenge.

8 January 2018

During a routine inspection

Hooklands Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Hooklands Care Home provides accommodation for up to 27 people who require personal care and may be living with dementia or other long term conditions. The home is situated on the coast in Bracklesham Bay. The back garden leads directly onto the beach behind, with sea views from the lounges, dining area and some bedrooms of the service. There is a lift to access bedrooms on the first and second floors. At the time of our inspection nine people were living at the home.

This was an unannounced inspection which took place on 8 January 2018.

At the last inspection conducted on the 14 and 17 August 2017, this service was rated as ‘Inadequate’ which placed it in ‘special measures’. Services in special measures are kept under review and if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider's registration of the service, will be inspected again within six months. The expectation is that providers found to have been providing inadequate care should have made significant improvements within this timeframe.

At the previous inspection we found five breaches. Three continued breaches in relation to, the safe care and treatment of people, lack of appropriate training or supervision for staff to suitably carry out their duties and a lack of systems and processes to effectively monitor the quality and safety of the service provided. Two new breaches were found in relation to the safeguarding of people and the cleanliness and suitability of the premises.

Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when to improve the key questions ‘safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led’ to at least ‘good’. We found that positive improvements had been made to all key questions during this inspection.

Since the last inspection, the provider applied to deregister the ‘nursing’ registration for the service, which means that only people with needs that can be met safely and appropriately in a residential care home can now be accommodated at Hooklands Care Home.

At the time of this inspection there was no registered manager in post. However, a new manager had been appointed who had been in place for three months. 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. The new manager was in the process of applying to become the registered manager for this service and we had received an application from them.

The new manager had introduced many positive changes since the last inspection. New staff had been appointed and a new call bell system had been installed by the provider. Medicines were stored and administered safely and people’s records were held confidentially in a locked room. We recommended that the manager ensured that medicines for people continued to be monitored closely to ensure improvements are embedded in practice. People were safeguarded from abuse. Staff had received training and the local social services department had lifted the contract ‘suspension’ with the service which enabled the home to admit new people to live there. New audits had been introduced which meant that the service was now effectively monitoring the quality and safety of the service provided to people. A consultant had also been appointed by the registered provider to support the new manager in their role. The consultant also completed audits to ensure an independent view was provided of the service. The manager was proactively working through actions arising from these audits at this inspection.

There were suitable numbers of appropriately skilled staff deployed at the service. Staff morale was very positive with staff working well together as a team. Staff felt that the new manager was approachable and supportive. At the time of our inspection no agency staff were used. Safe recruitment processes were in place. Staff were rewarded for their achievements with a new initiative implemented called the ‘Purple Heart Employee’ of the month award. We saw a poster in the lounge and staff meeting minutes which demonstrated which staff member was employee of the month.

Staff were receiving on-going training in various topics, including, safeguarding adults, Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), fire safety, falls prevention, medicines management and infection control. Staff administering medicines had had their competency checked by a senior member of staff. Medicines had been audited by an externally commissioned consultant. Accidents and incidents were monitored by the manager with any trends recorded and acted upon appropriately.

People had access to healthcare as they needed it and a nurse practitioner visited the home from a local doctor’s surgery on a weekly basis to provide on-going support.

People were engaged in activities of their choice with a dedicated activities coordinator supporting this. We saw a person going outside of the service with support from staff and another person was engaged using a ‘light board’ which they clearly enjoyed.

People told us that they usually enjoyed the meals at the home which were brought in from an external company. This meant that people’s choices of foods were limited at times. We were told that a new system of ‘home cooked foods’ was being introduced the week following the inspection which meant that people would had more choices of foods.

Staff treated people with dignity and compassion and displayed respect and kindness towards people living at Hooklands Care Home.

We did not find any breaches of regulation at this inspection.

Whilst there had been significant improvements at this service, due to the previously identified serious concerns, a period of sustained quality improvement progress with changes being embedded into practice is required before the service can be rated as ‘Good’ overall.

14 August 2017

During a routine inspection

This was an unannounced inspection which took place on 14 August 2017 and 17 August 2017. The registered manager was given notice of the second date as we needed to spend time with her to discuss aspects of the inspection and to gather further information.

Hooklands Care Home with Nursing provides accommodation for up to 27 older people who require nursing or personal care and who may be living with dementia. The home is located in Bracklesham Bay and the garden backs onto the sea. Communal areas include two lounges and a dining area. There is a lift to access bedrooms on the first and second floors. At the time of our inspection 19 people were living at the home. Of these, 16 people required nursing care and 10 people were living with dementia.

During our inspection the registered manager was present. 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.

We previously inspected the home in January 2017,which was the first inspection since the home was purchased and registered to be operated by a new provider. At the January 2017 inspection five breaches of regulations were identified. These related to safe care and treatment as risks to people’s health and wellbeing were not being managed safely and staff were not being provided with sufficient training and support in order to provide safe and effective care. Also, recruitment practices were not robust as checks were not undertaken to ensure staff did not pose a risk to people. Mental capacity assessments had not been completed and applications had not been made to the authorising authority for people who were being deprived of their liberty. Quality monitoring systems were not in place and as a result shortfalls in service provision were not being identified and acted upon.

In response, the registered manager and provider sent us an action plan that detailed the steps that would be taken to achieve compliance. The home was rated ‘Requires Improvement’ in the Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well Led domains and ‘Inadequate’ in the safe domain. An overall rating of ‘Requires Improvement’ was awarded.

At this inspection we found that improvements had taken place with regards to recruitment practices and consent to care. However, insufficient action had been taken and a further deterioration had taken place in relation to safe care and treatment, staff training and support, and, good governance. Also, new concerns were identified in relation to the environment, safeguarding, staffing levels and statutory notifications and breaches of regulations were identified in these areas. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report. Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to any concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

There was no equipment such as sensory devices available in the home to alert staff if people fell and needed assistance. Referrals to external professionals had not been made when people fell to ensure action was taken to minimise the risk of further falls. Risk assessments and care plans were either not in place or incomplete for people who were at risk of choking. Skin and wound care management was not always robust. There was a lack of information about risks associated with choking and the provision of pureed meals meant that staff unfamiliar with the needs of people might give people meals that placed them at risk of harm. Medicine records were not complete and as a result could not be used to establish if people had received medicines as prescribed.

We identified multiple safeguarding concerns that placed the majority of people who lived at the home at risk of harm or poor care. As such, we shared the concerns that we identified during the inspection with West Sussex County Council Adult Services safeguarding team in order that they could consider these in line with their safeguarding procedures. As a result, representatives of the Council are reviewing everyone’s needs and multiple safeguarding enquiries are currently taking place. Whilst the reviews are taking place the local authority are supporting the provider to make improvements to the care provided to people. Representatives of the local authority are visiting the home on a regular basis as part of this process. The local authority have suspended placing new people at the home and the provider has also agreed not to admit any privately funded people or new people from any other local authority.

The registered manager had not submitted safeguarding referrals' to the local authority or statutory notifications to CQC when concerns were identified that related to neglect of care or acts of omission. Staff had not received safeguarding training and did not report potential safeguarding concerns despite being able to explain their responsibilities to do this.

There had been a decline in staff morale due to a lack of formal support provided and the reliance of high numbers of agency staff to fill vacancies. Minimal training had been provided and this was not consistent and some staff had not been able to attend due to having to cover shifts at the home. Staff had not been provided with training in first aid, moving and handling and dementia care. People living with dementia did not receive a personalised service and nurses did not have sufficient knowledge to provide effective care and to meet people’s individual nursing needs. Staffing levels were not sufficient to meet the needs of people who lived at the home. This resulted in people having to spend extended periods of time in their rooms in order to keep them safe.

Quality monitoring systems were still ineffective at identifying and driving improvements. Audits were minimal, had not been completed on a regular basis and had not identified the issues found at the inspection. The provider had not ensured sufficient oversight of the service provided to people and had not fulfilled his legal responsibilities to ensure compliance with the regulations. The provider had not recognised when quality and safety was compromised and as a result had not responded appropriately. He had not sought professional advice for areas outside of his expertise. He had not ensured systems and processes monitored and improved the quality and safety of service provided to people. The registered manager acknowledged that she was not fulfilling her responsibilities and had submitted her resignation.

Since our last inspection the flooring in the communal areas had been replaced and more homely lighting fitted in the home. Chairs were in the process of being replaced and new blinds were due to be fitted to lounge windows. However, we found that people had not been able to access or use the garden area during the summer and that there was no garden furniture or sun parasols that people could have used. There was very little in the way of visual stimulation for people living with dementia.

In the main, people expressed satisfaction with the meals provided. Despite this, we found that people who required a specialised diet did not have the same range of choices as people who had a normal diet.

Despite the poor staff morale we saw that they were dedicated and tried to ensure people received a caring service. There was genuine warmth between people and the permanent staff and it was apparent that positive relationships had been formed. People told us that staff treated them with dignity and respect and that they were happy with the support they received with personal care. Relatives also confirmed that they were welcomed when visiting their family members.

There had been an improvement in the recruitment processes and practices at the home.

Since our last inspection advice had been sought from an external professional about The Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and training had been provided to staff. Where necessary, people now had MCA assessments completed and applications had been submitted to the relevant authority when people needed to have their liberty deprived for reasons of safety.

The overall rating for this service is ‘Inadequate’ and the service is therefore in ‘special measures’.

Services in special measures will be kept under review and, if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider’s registration of the service, will be inspected again within six months. The expectation is that providers found to have been providing inadequate care should have made significant improvements within this timeframe.

If not enough improvement is made within this timeframe so that there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve. This service will continue to be kept under review and, if needed, could be escalated to urgent enforcement action.

24 January 2017

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 24 and 26 January 2017 and was unannounced.

Hooklands Care Home with Nursing provides accommodation for up to 27 older people who require nursing or personal care. At the time of our visit, there were 20 people in residence. The service is located in Bracklesham Bay and the garden backs onto the sea. Communal areas include two lounges and a dining area. There is a lift to access bedrooms on the first and second floors. The new provider was investing in the service and had made improvements to the fabric of the home and garden. Adaptations were also planned to make the home environment more suited to people living with dementia.

The service did not have a registered manager. A new manager had been appointed in October 2016 and was in the process of registering with us. 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, relatives and staff spoke highly of the service and the kindness of the staff team. We found, however, that there were no systems in place to monitor the quality and delivery of the service in order to ensure that people received safe care.

The service was not safe. People were at risk of receiving inappropriate care or treatment because risks to their health, safety and welfare had not been assessed or managed consistently.

There was no system in place to ensure that medicines were managed safely and the competency of staff administering medicines had not been checked.

New staff had started working in the home before the necessary recruitment checks had been completed.

The service was not always effective. Some staff had not received necessary training to enable them to provide effective support to people. Although staff felt supported, they had not received recent supervision or an appraisal of their performance.

Where people lacked capacity to make decisions relating to their care and treatment, staff did not understand or put into practice the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). This meant that people’s wishes and rights may have been overlooked.

People were not fully involved in planning and reviewing their care. There was limited information about their future wishes and no evidence of their involvement when significant changes occurred. We have made a recommendation about involving people to ensure their care is appropriate and reflects their needs and preferences.

The service was not always responsive. People’s care plans did not always reflect their current needs and monitoring records about their care were incomplete. Although staff knew people well, there was no system to ensure staff would identify or know how to respond to changes in a person’s health.

People felt confident to raise any concerns with staff and told us they knew how to complain. Following our inspection, the provider updated their complaints policy to ensure that clear information was displayed and available to people.

The service was not consistently well-led. The manager and provider knew the service needed to improve but there was no system to identify areas of concern or a clear plan of action as to how and when known issues would be addressed.

Due to our concerns, we shared our findings with the local authority safeguarding team and the West Sussex Fire and Rescue Service.

People told us the staff were caring. There was a regular team of staff at the home, which helped to provide continuity for people. In one card of thanks we read, ‘Thank you all for looking after me so beautifully. It was the happiest place to be when I needed the extra nursing care’. In the provider’s survey one response read, ‘The staff are more like friends and family than carer, nothing is too much trouble’. People were treated with dignity and respect.

Staff understood local safeguarding procedures. They were able to speak about the action they would take if they were concerned that someone was at risk of abuse.

People enjoyed the food and were offered a choice of meals.

Where appropriate, referrals were made to healthcare professionals, such as the GP, dementia crisis team or Tissue Viability Nurse (TVN). A nursing healthcare professional told us that staff were good at seeking and following advice.

We found five breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report