Background to this inspection
Updated
13 September 2023
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
The inspection was carried out by 1 inspector, 1 specialist nurse advisor and 1 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
Springkell House Care Home 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. Springkell House Care Home is a care home without nursing care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
The service had a manager in place who had applied to CQC to become the registered manager.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced and consisted of 2 separate visits to the service.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since its registration. We sought feedback from the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 7 people who used the service and 2 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We received feedback from 4 healthcare professionals who recently engaged with the service. We spoke with 9 members of staff including care staff, the service manager, and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We observed interactions between staff and people who used the service. We reviewed 8 people’s care records, 4 staff recruitment files, medication management records, policies and governance records.
Updated
13 September 2023
About the service
Springkell House Care Home is a residential care home registered to provide personal care for up to 35 people across 3 floors. The service provides support to people requiring residential care and people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, there were 31 people living at Springkell House Care Home, some of whom were living with dementia.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and their relatives told us staff were kind towards them and they felt safe living at Springkell House Care Home. There were sufficient staff deployed to support people with their needs.
Staff were aware of risks related to people’s care and how to support people appropriately. Staff knew how to whistleblow and raise concerns to the provider and externally, should they need to. People received medicines as prescribed.
Plans were in place for the event of an emergency evacuation. Staff had completed individual personal emergency evacuation plans for people.
We were assured the service were following safe infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe.
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 and their relatives told us they felt engaged and were given the opportunity to feedback on the service. There were however no systems to gather and act on feedback from external professionals.
People, their relatives and staff told us there was a positive atmosphere at the service. They were generally positive about the manager and felt listened to.
The service had a new manager who applied to become a registered manager. The provider’s governance systems were not fully effective, for example the provider’s own audits had not identified the lack of PRN protocols.
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 7 November 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about staff management of people’s risks, allegations of people sustaining unexplained bruising and the culture in the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
We did not find evidence of the concerns we received prior to the inspection.
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.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Springkell House Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.