Cherry Tree House

Updated 19 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 one inspector on day one and one inspector and specialist medicine inspector on day two. An Expert by Experience made phone calls to people’s relatives to gather their feedback about the quality of care.

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

Cherry Tree House 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. Cherry Tree House 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 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. However, due to a long-term absence of the registered manager a peripatetic manager was in post to support the service.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 2 August 2022 and ended on 10 August. We visited the service on 2 and 3 August 2022.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority, the local clinical commissioning group and Healthwatch about the service. Healthwatch 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We made observations of people and how they expressed themselves through their facial expressions and body language. Not everyone living at the service was able to talk with us, and used different ways of communicating, including body language and signs.

We spoke informally with four people about their experience of living at the service. We spoke with five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the peripatetic manager, deputy manager, senior support worker and support workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records and four people's medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision.

A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed. We received feedback from three health and social care professionals.

Updated 19 August 2022

About the service

Cherry Tree House is a residential care home providing accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care to up six people. The service provides support to people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Each person lived in their own self-contained flats within the building. At the time of our inspection six people were using the service.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support:

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.

Staff focused on people’s strengths and promoted what they could do, so people had a fulfilling and meaningful everyday life.

The provider worked with people to plan for when they experienced periods of distress so that their freedoms were restricted only if there was no alternative. Staff did everything they could to avoid restraining people. The service recorded when staff restrained people, and staff learnt from those incidents and how they might be avoided or reduced.

The service gave people care and support in a safe, clean, well equipped, well-furnished and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs. People had a choice about their living environment and were able to personalise their rooms.

Staff supported people to take part in activities and pursue their interests in their local area and to interact with people who had shared interests.

Staff supported people to play an active role in maintaining their own health and wellbeing. Staff enabled people to access specialist health and social care support in the community.

Staff supported people with their medicines in a way that promoted their independence and achieved the best possible health outcome.

The service had enough appropriately skilled staff to meet people’s needs and keep them safe.

Right Care:

Staff promoted equality and diversity in their support for people. They understood people’s cultural needs and provided culturally appropriate care.

People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity.

Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it.

People’s care, treatment and support plans reflected their range of needs and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life. People received care that supported their needs and aspirations, was focused on their quality of life, and followed best practice.

People could take part in activities and pursue interests that were tailored to them. The service gave people opportunities to try new activities that enhanced and enriched their lives.

Right Culture:

People led inclusive and empowered lives because of the ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of the management and staff.

People received good quality care, support and treatment because trained staff and specialists could meet their needs and wishes.

Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing. Staff ensured risks of a closed culture were minimised so that people received support based on transparency, respect and inclusivity.

Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 31 March 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection to assess that the service is applying the principles of right support right care right culture.

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.