Midland Care Home

Updated 26 August 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors, a specialist advisor 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

Midland Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Midland Care Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We sought feedback from Healthwatch, which is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people using the service and two relatives in person. We spoke with eight family members by telephone, we sought their views about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the registered manager, the head of health care, the clinical service manager, two registered nurses, two-unit managers, the head cook, three care staff and two members of the housekeeping team.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

Following our site visit the provider continued to provide information, which included data to support quality assurance and staff training. We also received information on the management of medicines and evidence to support how the service worked in line with the Mental Capacity Act.

Updated 26 August 2022

About the service

Midland Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 66 people. The service provides support to people with dementia, people with an eating disorder, people detained under the mental health act, people with mental health needs, people with limited mobility and blind people or partially sighted people or visually impaired. At the time of our inspection there were 46 people using the service.

Midland Care Home was purpose built. The service has communal areas, assisted toilets, bathing facilities, and bedrooms with en-suite facilities sited over three floors, known as Sunflower, Daisy and Lily. There is an accessible garden.

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

People’s safety was underpinned by the provider’s policies and processes. Potential risks to people were assessed and measures put in place to reduce these. Lessons were learnt and improvements made through the analysis of reports of accidents and incidents. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had undergone a robust recruitment process and had undertaken training in topics to promote their safety. Medicine systems were managed safely. People lived in an environment which was well maintained and clean, with safe infection control and prevention measures.

People’s health and wellbeing needs were assessed, and their health and welfare monitored by staff. Staff liaised effectively with health care professionals to achieve good outcomes for people. Staff had the knowledge and experience to meet people’s needs. Staff were supported by ongoing assessment of their competence to fulfil their role and responsibilities. People’s dietary needs were met.

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.

Family members were complimentary about the quality of care provided to their relatives. They spoke of the kind, caring and the compassionate approach of staff, and were confident that their relative’s privacy and dignity was promoted.

People’s needs were recorded in personalised care plans, considering all aspects of their care, including protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act. Opportunities were available for people to engage in a range of activities within the home and local community, which included observance of their religious beliefs.

Family members were complimentary about the registered manager and management team and were kept informed of key events affecting their relative. Systems, processes and effective governance and management meant the provider kept under review the quality of the service provided. Staff were supported and monitored to enable them to deliver good quality care. The registered manager and management team worked effectively with partner agencies to achieve good quality outcomes for people.

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 16 February 2021).

At our last inspection we recommended that audits were reviewed to ensure all areas for the safety and quality of the service were monitored. At this inspection we found the registered manager and senior leadership had a good overview of audits carried out to monitor the safety and quality of the service.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to safeguarding concerns received and a review of information we held about this service, which included the CQC rating history.

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.

Follow up

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