Chestnut House

Updated 1 April 2020

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.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Chestnut House is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as 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

This inspection was announced. This was because we needed to be sure people would be at home to speak with us.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information available to us since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from commissioners and professionals who work with the service, including the local authority safeguarding adults’ team. 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 also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

During the inspection

We spoke with the registered manager, the regional manager, two care staff, and one visiting professional. We also spoke with three people who lived at the home.

We reviewed a range of records. This included one person's care records and two people's medication records. We looked at one staff personnel file and various records related to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to receive information from the registered manager to confirm the inspection findings. We spoke with one relative, one visiting professional and we received written feedback from one other visiting professional.

Updated 1 April 2020

Chestnut House, is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to six people living with a physical, learning disability or autism. At the time of inspection, six people were living at the home.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensured people who lived at the home can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People living at the home received planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that was appropriate and inclusive for them. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People, their relative and professionals told us people were very safe living at the home. One relative told us their relative received safe care and this was down to the level of detail and attention staff paid to their loved one. Detailed risk assessments were in place to help staff keep people safe, whilst encouraging people to be as independent as they could. Regular safety checks of the building were completed. Only suitable staff were employed. The registered manager used all incidents as a learning opportunity to improve various aspects of the service and care provided.

People’s needs were fully assessed before they came to live at the home. People were also encouraged to visit prior to coming to live at the home, to ensure they and other people living there, were happy with arrangements. Staff had appropriate skills to care for people. Staff received regular refresher training. People enjoyed a healthy, fresh and varied diet. People attended regular healthcare appointments. People’s bedrooms were unique to each person and had been decorated to reflect each person’s individual tastes.

People received care from staff who were caring and committed in their role. Staff were very aware of the importance of maintaining people’s dignity and were very keen to support and promote people’s independence.

Regular reviews of people’s care was completed with emphasis placed upon people achieving their individually set goals. A complaints policy was in place, but no complaints had been received. People had access to documents in a variety of formats to support their understanding and communication. End of life wishes were included in people’s care plans.

The service had a registered manager. They managed the service very well and promoted an atmosphere and culture in the home which was both inclusive and empowering for people and staff. The registered manager ensured information was shared with the appropriate authorities. When things had happened, immediate action was taken to address any issues. A service improvement plan was in place which was reviewed regularly at both local and regional level, and this was used to drive further improvements and outcomes for people and the home. The registered manager and staff worked very closely with various healthcare professionals. People, their relative, staff and visiting professionals were very complimentary about the registered manager.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 3 May 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.