Hunters Creek Care Home

Hunters Creek is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 91 people. The service predominately provides support to people some of who are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 82 people using the service.

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

People using the service were safe. The provider had systems and processes in place to protect people from abuse and staff were aware of their responsibilities in keeping people safe.

The risks to people’s safety were regularly assessed and there were measures in place to reduce these risks. The registered manager had processes in place to learn from accidents and incidents to further reduce risk to people living at the service.

People were supported by adequate numbers of safely recruited staff, who had received appropriate training for their roles and were supported with regular supervision from their line managers.

People’s medicines were well managed, and people were protected from the risk of infection as the staff maintained good infection, prevention and control practices.

People’s needs were assessed using nationally recognised assessment tools to ensure they received care which met their needs. Their nutritional needs were met, and they were provided with nutritional and appetising meals.

People’s health needs were well managed, and staff worked with external health professionals to ensure people received consistent care.

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.

People lived in a well-maintained environment supported by staff who treated them with respect and dignity. They and their relatives were involved in the development of their care plans to ensure they received personalised care.

People were supported to maintain relationships with family and friends. The service followed government guidance when welcoming visitors into the service and people were encouraged to take part in social activities of their choice.

The registered manager took complaints or concerns about people’s care seriously and responded to complaints in a positive way following the providers complaints procedure.

There were effective quality monitoring processes in place to support good standards of care. People, relatives and staff told us the manager was open, approachable and responsive. Staff felt supported by them.

People and staff’s views on the running of the service were gathered through newsletters, meetings and questionnaires, and the management team acted on the responses they received.

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 8 August 2022) and there were breaches 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

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

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.

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

Hunters Creek is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 91 people. The service predominately provides support to older people some of who are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 81 people using the service.

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

Safeguarding notifications were not always sent to the Local Authority's safeguarding team and CQC. However, staff received safeguarding training and knew how to whistle-blow if they had concerns. Checks and documentation to ensure people's skin pressure related risks were mitigated needed improvement. There was inconsistency in the quality of information held on staff files. Staff carried out safety checks to ensure the environment was safe and fit for purpose. Medicines were managed safely by the provider.

Care plans varied in quality. There was a risk some care plans lacked detail about people's communication needs. Records indicated people were not always offered enough to drink. However, the food served was of good quality, people's dietary needs were well documented, and people were offered a choice in what they ate. Staff received an induction, training and support with their professional development. The service was well decorated and had accessible signage for people living with dementia.

Relatives we spoke with raised concerns about the support people received with personal care. However, during our inspection, we observed staff treating people kindly and respectfully.

People had access to regular activities. Visitors were welcome and we saw visits taking place throughout our inspection. There were systems in place to improve care based on concerns and complaints.

Systems and processes to ensure care plans contained accurate and up to date information to promote people's health, safety and wellbeing needed improving. The provider had not made CQC aware of some allegations of abuse. Some relatives felt the registered manager was not visible but were confident in raising concerns with the registered manager and other staff if needed. The service facilitated resident and staff meetings. There was evidence the provider worked in partnership with others.

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

This service was registered with us on 7 October 2019 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 5 September 2019.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. 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.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches in relation to safeguarding, safe care and treatment and good governance at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

¿ Effective systems were in place to ensure visitors to the service followed government guidelines for wearing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Facilities were available for visitors to wash and sanitise their hands and put on a facemask, gown and a visor. Screening questions and a temperature check were standard requirements for all visitors.

¿ There was plenty of personal protective equipment (PPE) including masks, gloves, aprons and hand sanitiser available. PPE stations were located around the corridors and near all the rooms where people were isolating.

¿ All staff had been trained in current Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) guidance and in the use of PPE. There were designated areas for donning and doffing of PPE and handwashing facilities were easily accessible to people and staff. We observed staff followed current guidance and practice throughout our visit.

¿ A regular programme of testing for COVID-19 was in place for staff and people who lived in the service.

¿ Enhanced cleaning took place daily. The environment was clean and hygienic. A ground floor room had been converted to allow safe visiting for relatives and friends of people. The room was well ventilated and had a purpose-built screen to reduce the risk of spreading infection. Visitors could access this room without walking through the main building.

¿ Regular audits to make sure staff complied with current guidance and practice took place regularly. Any concerns picked up through these checks were acted on without delay.

¿ The service's IPC policy was up to date and in line with current guidance. The service had plans in place and knew how to respond to an outbreak of infection to ensure the safety of people and staff.

¿ People admitted to the service were supported following government guidance on managing new admissions during the COVID-19 pandemic. The provider had specific COVID-19 care plans in place for people to provide guidance for staff caring for them.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.