Culliford House

Updated 10 May 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 Care Act 2014.

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.

Service and service type

Culliford House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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. The registered manager was also the registered provider. This means that they are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We looked at all the information we had received about and from the home since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority who contract with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We met with all of the people living at the service and spoke with four people in detail. Not all people could speak with us about their experience of living at the service. We observed the care and support people received. We also spoke with four visitors about their experience of the care provided.

We spoke with nine staff including the registered manager/provider, deputy manager, senior and care staff and housekeeping staff. We also spent time observing care and support in communal areas and in the dining room. We received feedback from a visiting health professional. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people's care and monitoring records and their medication records.

We also held a remote video call with the registered manager/provider and the quality manager to discuss the governance arrangements at the service and to give inspection feedback.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager/provider to validate evidence found. The registered manager/provider sent us documentation electronically including staff training information, supervision records and a range of records used to monitor the quality and safety of the service. They also sent us detail of the new management arrangements. We received feedback from three relatives, an external trainer, visiting minister and one staff member.

We continued to review the information we received from the service and feedback from relatives and visitors until 4 April 2022.

Updated 10 May 2022

About the service

Culliford House is a residential care home proving accommodation and personal care. Nursing care is not provided by staff at Culliford House. This is provided by the community nursing service. The home is registered to accommodate up to 25 older people, some of whom are living with dementia, in one adapted building. At the time of this inspection there were 20 people living in the home.

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

People felt safe and were comfortable and relaxed with staff who supported them. Relatives told us they felt their family members were safe and very well cared for. Throughout the inspection we saw kind, relaxed, compassionate and caring interactions between people and staff. We observed that staff were respectful of people and took time to offer support and reassurance when needed.

There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and there was a core of staff who had worked at the home for a number of years. Staff understood and anticipated people’s needs which contributed to the calm and homely atmosphere at the home.

Staff knew people well and how to identify, assess and mitigate any risks to their safety. Medicines were managed safely and effectively by staff who were trained and competent to do so.

Staff received training, support and supervision. Staff told us they felt well supported to carry out their roles and told us everyone worked very well together as a team for the benefit of the people living at Culliford House.

People had access to nutritious, home cooked food that they enjoyed and were given choice in their menu selections.

People were supported to maintain their independence and have maximum choice and control in their lives. Where people lacked mental capacity to make decisions, these were made in line with the Mental Capacity Act and staff supported people in the least restrictive way; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Care plans were person centred and they detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. There was a happy relaxed atmosphere with a wide variety of activities and social stimulation for people. People were able to make choices about their day to day lives and were encouraged to continue to follow their interests.

There was an open and positive culture within the home and people, their relatives, staff and professionals told us the registered manager/provider and management team were approachable and helpful.

There were governance arrangements in place and systems to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided. The registered manager/provider took immediate action to address some governance shortfalls identified at the start of the inspection. This had been as a result of a short period of time where the registered manager/provider and management staff had needed to cover care and catering roles at the home. A new management team and structure were implemented to minimise the risk of any reoccurrence.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for the service under the previous legal entity was Good, published on 12 April 2018.

Why we inspected

This was a comprehensive inspection based on the date the provider was registered with the Care Quality Commission.

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 Culliford House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.