Halwill Manor Nursing Home

Updated 17 March 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 23 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 17 March 2021

About the service

Halwill Manor Nursing Home is registered to provide nursing and personal care for up to 25 older people. This includes people who are living with dementia. The home has been run by the same providers for 30 years and is an adapted building with facilities over two floors. At the time of the inspection, 22 people were in residence but placements were already arranged for two further people.

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

People received a safe service. Staff received safeguarding training and knew what to do if they suspected people were at risk of harm. Other risks to people’s health and welfare were well managed. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to keep people safe. The numbers of staff on duty for each shift were based upon the collective care and support needs of each person in residence. This ensured the staff team could safely provide care and support to each person. Pre-recruitment checks carried out before new staff worked at the home ensured they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Medicines were well managed and people received their medicines as prescribed. People were protected by the homes infection control policy and procedures.

People received an effective service which met their care and support needs. Staff training ensured they had the relevant skills to meet people’s care and support needs. Staff were regularly supervised to ensure they worked well. People had access to the healthcare support they needed. This included their GP, district nurses, speech and language therapists (SALT) and other allied healthcare professionals. People were provided with a healthy, balanced diet that met their own individual preferences.

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 service was meeting the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

People received a service that was caring and centred around their own specific needs. People were relaxed and comfortable in their home. Health care professionals and one relative gave us positive feedback about the way people were looked after. The staff team had a good understanding of each person’s individuals' needs. People were treated in a warm and respectful manner at all times.

The service was responsive to people’s health and social care needs. Their care plans were regularly reviewed and adjusted to take account of any changes in their care and support needs and health status. The nursing staff ensured referrals were made to appropriate health and social care professionals as needed. The service continued to look after people who developed end of life and palliative care needs. The nurses were able to look after people who became very ill and endeavoured to prevent hospital admissions. The service would work in partnership with family and healthcare professionals to achieve this.

People were able to participate in a range of meaningful activities that were based upon their activity profile. The staff took time to find out about people’s life history, their occupation and interests and hobbies. People and their families were encouraged to make their views known about all aspects of the service and were listened to, the service making changes where appropriate.

The service continued to be well led. The registered manager, nurses and team leaders provided good leadership for the staff team. There was a clear focus on continually seeking to improve the service people received. Links had been forged with other services for example the Alzheimer’s Society and the National Activity Providers Association to ensure they remained up to date with best practice.

The service had good quality assurance systems in place with regular audits being undertaken. These identified any action required to make improvements. This meant the quality of service people received was monitored on a regular basis and, where shortfalls were identified they were acted upon.

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 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.