Cherry Tree Gardens

Updated 5 January 2019

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 4 and 17 December 2018. The first day of the inspection was unannounced. One adult social care inspector carried out the inspection. The inspection included a visit to the provider’s office on both these dates to speak with the registered manager and staff, and to review care records and policies and procedures.

We visited people in their own flats within the Cherry Tree Gardens complex. We spoke with six people who used the service and four family members. In addition to the registered manager, we also spoke with the new manager (who was applying to be registered with CQC), care manager, compliance officer, training manager and four care staff. We looked at the care records of three people who used the service and the personnel files for three members of staff.

Before we visited the service we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider, for example, inspection history, statutory notifications and complaints. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to CQC by law. We contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners and safeguarding staff. We also reviewed information about the service on the local Healthwatch website. Healthwatch is the local consumer champion for health and social care services. They give consumers a voice by collecting their views, concerns and compliments through their engagement work. Information provided by these professionals was used to inform the inspection.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

Updated 5 January 2019

This inspection took place on 4 and 17 December 2018. The first day of the inspection was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

This service is a domiciliary care agency. It provides personal care to older people living in their own flats within the Cherry Tree Gardens complex.

Not everyone living at Cherry Tree Gardens received the regulated activity; CQC only inspects the service being received by people provided with 'personal care'; help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also take into account any wider social care provided. On the day of our inspection there were 34 people receiving personal care at the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Like 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.

Cherry Tree Gardens was last inspected by CQC on 13 September 2017 and was rated requires improvement. At the inspection in September 2017 we identified the following breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) and Regulation 17 (Good governance).

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 five key questions to at least good. At this inspection we found improvements had been made in all the areas identified at the previous inspection.

Medicines were safely administered and procedures were in place to ensure people received medicines as prescribed.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and investigated. Risk assessments were in place for people and described potential risks and the safeguards in place to mitigate these risks. Management and staff understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of people who used the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant vetting checks when they employed staff. Staff were supported in their role via appropriate training and regular supervisions.

People 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.

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs. Care records contained evidence of people being supported during visits to and from external health care specialists.

People and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Cherry Tree Gardens. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

People’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and support plans were written in a person-centred way. Person-centred means ensuring the person is at the centre of any care or support and their individual wishes, needs and choices were considered.

Activities were arranged for people based on their likes and interests, and to help meet their social needs. The service had good links with the local community.

People and family members were aware of how to make a complaint. The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place. People, family members and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service via meetings and surveys.