We carried out a review of the data available to us about Abbeygate Rest Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Abbeygate Rest Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Abbeygate Rest Home is a Care Home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 24 older people. There were 17 people living there on the day of our inspection.
The registered provider also offers day care support in the same building. This service is not regulated by the Care Quality Commission.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us there were enough staff to meet their needs and they felt safe and happy.
Staff told us there were systems in place to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm and they all knew what these were and what to do if concerns arose..
People told us that there was good access to doctors, nurses , and Occupational Therapists as well as Dentists. This showed that staff worked well with other agencies and peoples needs could be met effectively.
People told us staff were kind and looked after them well; they would not want to be anywhere else. 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 told us there were a variety of activities offered daily; they could choose to engage with these or not. Relatives and friends felt comfortable and welcomed when visiting. External agencies also provided entertainment in the home. Small clubs had been set up and these were also popular.
The manager promoted an open-door approach and a no blame culture within the home. They understood their requirements under the duty of candour.
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 this service was Good (published 29 September 2017)
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
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.
We carried out our inspection on 2 and 24 August 2017. The inspection was unannounced. There were 20 people living in the home on the first day of our inspection.
The home had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Like registered providers (‘the provider’) they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
At our last inspection in July 2015 we rated the home as Good. Following this inspection the rating remains as Good.
Action was required to improve the provision of communal activities and other forms of stimulation and occupation. In all other areas however, the provider was meeting people’s needs effectively.
CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves. At the time of our inspection no one living in the home was subject to a DoLS authorisation or application. Staff had a clear understanding of the MCA and demonstrated their awareness of the need to obtain consent before providing care or support to people. Decisions that staff had made as being in people’s best interests were correctly documented.
In her relatively short time in post, the registered manager had won the loyalty and respect of her staff. She demonstrated a positive and forward-looking approach and was committed to the continuous improvement of the home in the future. A range of auditing and monitoring systems was in place to monitor the quality and safety of service provision.
There was a warm, relaxed atmosphere and staff supported people in a kind and friendly way. Staff knew and respected people as individuals and provided responsive, person-centred care. People were provided with food and drink of good quality that met their individual needs and preferences.
There were sufficient staff to keep people safe and meet their needs, although the provider agreed to take action to improve call bell response times. Staff worked together in a well-coordinated and mutually supportive way. There was a varied training programme in place to provide staff with the knowledge and skills they required to meet people’s needs effectively.
People’s medicines were managed safely and staff worked closely with local healthcare services to ensure people had access to any specialist support they required. People’s individual risk assessments were reviewed and updated to take account of changes in their needs. Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns to keep people safe from harm.
This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 8 July 2015. Abbeygate Rest Home provides accommodation for up to 24 people who require residential care and also supports people living with dementia. There were 19 people living in the service when we carried out our inspection.
At the time of our inspection the service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way. This is usually to protect themselves. At the time of our inspection no one was currently subject to an active DoLS authorisation.
Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns so that people were kept safe from harm and background checks had been completed before new staff were appointed. Staff helped people to avoid having accidents.There were arrangements in place for ordering, storing, administering and disposing of medicines.
Staff had been supported to assist people in the right way, including people who lived with dementia and who could become distressed. People had been helped to eat and drink enough to stay well. We found that people were provided with a choice of meals. When necessary, people were given extra help to make sure that they had enough to eat and drink. People had access to a range of healthcare professionals when they required specialist help.
Staff understood people’s needs, wishes and preferences and they had been trained to provide effective and safe care which met people’s individual needs. People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect.
People were able to see their friends and families when they wanted. There were no restrictions on when people could visit the service. Visitors were made welcome by the staff in the service. People and their relatives had been consulted about the care they wanted to be provided. Staff knew the people they supported and the choices they made about their care and people were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests.
There were systems in place for handling and resolving complaints. People and their relatives knew how to raise a concern. The service was run in an open and inclusive way that encouraged staff to speak out if they had any concerns. The registered manager regularly assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided for people. The service had established links with local community groups which benefited people who lived in the service.
We spent time observing care. We saw staff were polite and courteous to people and called people by their preferred name.
We saw that people were provided with a good choice of nutritious food, appropriate to their needs. One person told us "The food is good, there is always plenty to eat."
People were protected from cross infection and hygiene was maintained to a good standard. Medicines were managed well, they were administered in a safe and considerate manner.
Appropriate checks were completed on staff before they were allowed to work with vulnerable people. There was good evidence of appropriate training for all staff. Staff files were complete and properly held and stored.
People using the service had appropriate records maintained. These were stored and used in a manner that protected confidentiality.
We visited the home and spoke with five people who lived there. Everyone we spoke with told us they were satisfied with the service and said they were being well cared for.
One person told us, 'I can't fault anything. They couldn't be nicer or more helpful.' Another person said, 'We are well looked after here. The care staff are nice. They treat me with respect.'
We asked people if they felt safe. Everyone agreed they did. One person told us, 'I have no concerns, nothing is too much trouble.'
We spoke with four relatives who were visiting the home. One family told us, 'Mum is being very well cared for. She is very poorly at the moment and the staff are doing a very good job of caring for her.' Another relative told us, 'Mum settled in really quickly, I thought it would take a lot longer as she has always lived with me. I know I have piece of mind when I go home and leave her here.'
We also spoke with a district nurse who visits the service. They told us, 'What I like about this service is the care staff know the people very well. They are very knowledgeable about what people have had to eat and drink. People are not just left in their rooms and they looked nicely washed and dressed.'
We spoke with several people and asked them for their views about what it was like to live at Abbeygate Rest Home.
People told us they were happy with their care and felt safe at the home. One person said 'I've not been here long, but up to now I am satisfied'. They told us that their privacy was respected and that staff always knocked on the door before entering.
People told us the meals were good and there was a choice of meals available, one person told us that if you didn't like either choice on the menu they would find you something that you liked.