Coble House

Updated 18 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. This inspection was planned to check 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 was conducted by an inspector, an inspection manager 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

Coble House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and 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

The first day of the inspection was unannounced. We arranged with the registered manager to return for a second day to complete the inspection.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about Coble House since the last inspection. We contacted the local authority and other professionals who worked with the service for information. We used this to plan our 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with 10 people who lived at Coble House and 10 relatives about their experiences of the care provided. We spoke with staff, including care staff, two nurses, the activities coordinator, the chef, a kitchen assistant, domestic staff and the registered manager. We also spoke with a representative from the provider organisation who was visiting the service.

We reviewed four people’s care records. We looked at the information kept regarding the management of the service. This included three staff files and records related to the quality and safety of the service.

Updated 18 March 2020

About the service:

Coble House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 52 older people. At the time of this inspection 49 people were using the service, most of whom received nursing care.

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

People were safe living at Coble House. Staff supported people’s health and safety. Risks were identified and reduced. Positive risk taking and independence was encouraged to increase people’s quality of life.

The premises were safe, and the home was clean. Incidents were investigated and reported as required. Lessons learned were shared with staff.

There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs. Staff recruitment was safe, and training was refreshed regularly. Regular checks were carried out to ensure staff remained competent.

People’s health and social care needs were thoroughly assessed. Staff delivered care which reflected people’s current needs. Medicines were safely managed.

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.

Staff were very caring and knew people well. They protected people’s privacy and dignity and respected their wishes. People were involved making decisions about their care.

A range of activities were organised to interest people and provide socialisation amongst people, relatives and the local community. People also benefitted from one to one time with staff.

Staff were motivated by the registered manager to provide good quality, person-centred care. The provider’s strong quality assurance process was embedded throughout the service. Provider representatives carried out routine checks to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The provider supported the registered manager to make continuous improvements to the service.

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 good (published 5 August 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 Coble House until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.