Orchard House Care Home

Updated 7 December 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

This inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type

Orchard House 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. Orchard House Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. The previous registered manager left the service in October 2022. The deputy manager had been promoted to manager and they had been in this post for one month. They had submitted an application to register. We are currently assessing this application.

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 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 1 person who used the service and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the manager and nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We conducted a tour of the service and looked at a wide variety of records. These included people’s care and medicine records, monitoring documentation, staff files and audits used to monitor the service.

Following the inspection site visit we also contacted 4 members of staff via email to request feedback on the service.

Updated 7 December 2022

About the service

Orchard House Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 6 older people, young adults and people with dementia. They also provide respite accommodation. At the time of our inspection there were 6 people using the service.

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

Improvements had been made since the last inspection. Governance systems were now in place and effective in monitoring the quality and safety of the service. Timely action had been taken where shortfalls had been identified. The provider visited the service on a regular basis to ensure they had oversight.

Risks to people were now assessed and action had been taken to ensure risks were mitigated where possible. Improvements had been made with regards to the recording of checks used to ensure the service was safe.

Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely. Guidance for staff was now in place for medicines that were prescribed as and when required.

Thorough recruitment processes were now in place and followed. All appropriate pre-employment checks were evident and completed prior to new staff commencing employment.

People and relatives spoke highly of the staff team and there was enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs.

People were safe living at Orchard House Care Home. There was a warm, friendly, relaxed atmosphere and positive relationships existed between people, relatives and staff.

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 and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 16 December 2021) and there was a breach of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 21 October 2021. A breach of legal requirements was found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve their records keeping and governance processes.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the key questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Orchard House Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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