Churchfields Care Home

Updated 28 March 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of three 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

Churchfields 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.

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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we held about the service and the service provider. We looked at notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. This ensured we were addressing any areas of concern. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We received feedback from the commissioners. We also reviewed the provider’s previous inspection reports. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine people and two relatives. We looked at four people’s care records and five medicine administration records (MAR). During the inspection we spent time with people. We looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spoke with the registered manager and nine staff which included, care staff, domestic staff, activities coordinator, kitchen staff and a student on work experience. We spoke with the nominated individual who is also the provider. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager and provider to validate evidence found. We received feedback from three social and health care professionals who regularly visited people who received care from the service.

Updated 28 March 2020

About the service

Churchfields is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 31 older people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 35 people.

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

Churchfields had a strong and visible person-centred culture which ensured that staff in all roles were highly motivated and offered care and support that was exceptionally compassionate and kind. The ethos of the home made care and compassion every staff member’s business. Everyone, without exception, spoke of the commendable kindness, compassion and understanding shown by staff.

The service was a family run organisation which excelled in making the service a home from home. The provider put people at the centre of everything they did. People were valued and respected as individuals allowing them to be partners in their care. There was an exceptionally strong ethos within the service of treating people with dignity and respect. People were at the forefront of the service delivery and the provider was committed to and passionate about providing a high-quality service.

We received exceptionally positive feedback from all people and relatives. The feedback reflected staff were very kind, caring and committed. People complimented the continuity of care provided by regular staff which contributed to the building of meaningful relationships. Staff exceeded in recognising what was important to people and ensured individually tailored approach that met people's personal needs, wishes and preferences was delivered. There was evidence the staff often went 'the extra mile' to meet people's needs. People, relatives and professionals, without exception said they had and would definitely recommend Churchfields to families and friends.

Staff used innovative and individual ways of involving people and others in their care. The care and support plans were reviewed and changed as people’s needs changed. This included reasonable adjustments which were used to encourage independence.

The service ensured arrangements for social activities met people’s individual needs and followed best practice guidance, so people could live as full a life as possible. The service had found out what people had done in the past and evaluated whether it could accommodate activities and made them happen.

The service worked closely with healthcare professionals and provided excellent end of life care. People experienced a comfortable, dignified and pain-free death. We saw feedback from relatives following end of life care was commendable. Staff had the specific skills to understand and meet the needs of people and their families in relation to emotional support and the practical assistance they need at the end of the person’s life. Records showed staff had attended end of life care training. Staff told us they were supported by the management team with empathy and understanding.

The provider’s vision and values put people at the heart of the service. These were centred around people having a sense of purpose and of belonging, to live well, and to find enjoyment. This was supported by ensuring people had choice on how they wanted to spend their time and with whom. They were developed with people and staff in meaningful and creative ways and were owned by everyone. The registered manager provided exceptional leadership and had developed a dedicated staff team who were committed to the vision and values of the service. The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place which were used to drive improvement.

People living at Churchfields told us they received safe care from skilled and knowledgeable staff. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

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 were supported to maintain good health and to meet their nutritional needs.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 21 July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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

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