The Acorns

Updated 20 October 2021

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 an inspector, a member of the medicines team 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

The Acorns 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. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was to ensure we had prior information to promote safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We gathered feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about the service, what it does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account in making our judgements in this report. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we looked at medicines and records about medicines for seven people. We spoke with one nurse and two senior carers who had responsibility for administering medicines on the day of the inspection. We reviewed a range of records, including four people’s electronic care files. We looked at three staff files to review the recruitment procedure. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and audits were also reviewed.

We spoke with the care manager, activities coordinator, three care assistants, a senior care assistant and a registered nurse. We spoke with four people who lived at the home. The Expert by Experience spoke with eight relatives on the telephone.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at several other documents, including training and supervision records, policies, staff rotas and menus.

Updated 20 October 2021

About the service

The Acorns is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 39 people. At the time of our inspection there were 39 people living at the home.

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

People and their relatives spoke highly of the home and the care and support provided by staff. People told us they felt safe living at The Acorns. The home was clean and well-maintained and staff followed good infection control practices. Annual servicing of equipment had been completed and regular maintenance safety checks were carried out. The recruitment process was robust and there were enough staff to care for people safely. Medicines were managed correctly. Some minor issues with medicines we identified during the inspection were promptly dealt with.

People and their relatives were complimentary about the staff. People’s needs were assessed and everyone had a person-centred care plan in place. 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. All staff had completed a range of training, with further courses booked. Staff told us they felt very supported by the management team and received regular supervision meetings. People were given a choice of food and special diets were catered for. Staff worked closely with outside health professionals to help people maintain their health and stay well.

Care records contained detailed information about each person and how they wished to be supported. People were encouraged to take part in a range of different activities. Some helped with tasks around the home which they found rewarding. Relatives could visit the home, in line with government COVID-19 guidance. Staff had developed links with the local hospice and were trained to care for people approaching the end of their lives.

People, their relatives and staff all spoke highly of the management team and the way the home was run. There was a positive culture at the home and staff felt valued and supported. The provider had quality assurance tools in place to monitor the quality of care and support provided.

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 provider was Requires Improvement (report published 22 November 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection to provide the first rating of the service under its new provider.

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 until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.