Victoria Chartwell

Updated 30 October 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. 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 one inspector.

Service and service type

Victoria Chartwell 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 did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission, although a new manager had been appointed. A registered manager 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 information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We spoke with three people who used the service and one friend about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the provider, care quality manager, care workers and the chef. We spoke to a visiting health professional.

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 reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four 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.

Updated 30 October 2019

About the service

Victoria Chartwell is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 22 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. It consists of a three storey building with an accessible enclosed garden. The service can support up to 22 people.

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

People at the service were safe and told us they felt safe. The provider followed safe recruitment procedures and staff were well trained. There were enough staff to give people the safe care they needed. The home was clean and uncluttered and risk assessments were carried out. The kitchen had a good food hygiene rating. Medicines were managed safely and regularly audited by a pharmacist.

People had pre-assessments before arriving at the home and had their care regularly reviewed. Staff were well trained in subjects relevant to their roles and to the people at the home. People could personalise their rooms in any way they wished people brought pictures and furniture in o the home to make it feel familiar. The chef cooked fresh food daily which people enjoyed. A person told us, “He’s a very good chef, if there’s anything you don’t like he manages to conjure up something different.”

People were well treated by polite and caring staff who were cheerful and friendly. A person told us, “We have great respect for each other.” People were involved in decisions about their care. People were able to welcome visitors at any time and were encouraged to remain active.

People took part in numerous activities organised by an activities coordinator. Activities were designed with people at the home in mind to ensure they were accessible to all. A person told us, “The activities girl is amazing, I don’t know where she gets her ideas from, there is always so much to do.” Staff helped people to keep in contact with the wider community. Complaints were dealt with promptly and the management staff were keen to be seen as approachable at all times.

There was no registered manager at the time of the inspection. However the staff were supported by a care quality manager, the provider and the wider management team of the Victoria Nursing Group. Staff told us they felt well supported. The service worked with outside agencies and specialist healthcare providers. A visiting healthcare professional told us, “The residents all seem really happy, the staff actively look out for the patients.”

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 24 January 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.