Abbey Wood Park Care Home

Updated 29 September 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 carried out by an inspector, a specialist nursing advisor, 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

Abbey Wood Park 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. Abbey Wood Park is a care home with 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 manager in post who had applied to be registered with CQC and was waiting for their interview.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We looked at what information we had received about the service since it was last inspected in March 2021. This included looking at information held on our database about the service. For example, statutory notifications completed by the registered provider and safeguarding concerns reported to the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information shared with us by local authority commissioning and safeguarding teams. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who lived at the home about their experience of the care provided, and five visiting relatives. We spoke with the manager, deputy manager, senior care worker, the nominated individual, a cook, one member of the domestic team, two nurses and four members of staff responsible for providing care. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We carried out a visual inspection of the home to review the environment and to check the equipment used within the home. We did this to check the living environment was safe and suitably maintained. We also observed staff interactions with people throughout the visits.

We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people's care records and multiple medication administration records. We looked at two staff records to ensure suitable checks were in place. We also viewed multiple records related to the management of the service, including audits, policies and procedures.

Updated 29 September 2022

About the service

Abbey Wood Park care home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 39 older people with physical disabilities and or sensory impairments and people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, 30 people were living in the home.

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

Everyone we spoke with told us they felt safe living at the home. There were enough staff deployed to ensure people’s needs were met in a timely way. Risk assessments were in place and robust, and accidents and incidents were scrutinised for patterns and trends. Infection control procedures were in place; particularly in response to COVID-19 and the home was visibly clean and tidy. Medications were well managed; the environment was safe and secure and staff were recruited and selected safely.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control over 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 were appropriately trained and supervised to enable them to carry out their roles. People were supported to eat a balanced diet.

People said the staff were kind and caring, and we observed warm and familiar caring interactions between staff and people throughout the duration of our inspection.

Care plans were person-centred and reviewed regularly to ensure any changing needs were taken into account. There was a complaints policy in place, which was made available in different formats to support people’s understanding. There had been no recent complaints, however everyone we spoke with told us they knew how to complain.

All people knew who the management team were. Staff told us the manager led by example and was ‘there for support’. The manager welcomed feedback and was clearly proud of the home and the staff team. All notifications had been sent to CQC, and the manager understood what was expected of them. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home, and they felt they could approach the manager, deputy manager, provider and senior staff to help them develop further in their roles or if they had any concerns.

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 27 May 2021)

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.

At our last inspection we recommended the provider review and make improvements to systems and processes in relation to recruitment, following advice from health care professionals and staff training. At this inspection we found improvements had been made in all areas.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 19 and 25 March 2021. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve in relation to safe care and treatment, staffing, safeguarding, MCA and governance.

We undertook this comprehensive inspection to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. We also checked whether the Warning Notice we previously served in relation to Regulation 12 and Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 had been met.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

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