Culm Valley Care Centre

Updated 16 February 2022

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 care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on12 January 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 16 February 2022

About the service

Culm Valley Care Centre is registered to provide accommodation for 63 people who require nursing and personal care. There were 57 people living at the service, they consisted of 22 people who had been assessed as requiring nursing care were having their nursing needs met by the nurses at the service. There were also 36 people whose nursing needs were met by the community nursing team. One person was admitted on the day of the inspection and one person was discharged.

Culm Valley Care Centre is a service in a detached building over three floors in the centre of the market town, Cullompton in East Devon. The home is in walking distance of the town centre and local amenities. Since the last inspection the provider has had a large extension with an additional seven bedrooms and an additional communal lounge.

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

People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. The staff understood their responsibilities and how to protect people from abuse. There were enough suitably skilled and knowledgeable staff to meet people’s needs. People said their needs were met in a timely way.

Staff were safely recruited and received the training and support they needed to undertake their role. Peoples' medicines were managed safely. Processes were in place for the timely ordering and supply of medicines and medicines administration records indicated people received their medicines regularly. Measures were in place to control and prevent the spread of infection. There were checks and audits in place to protect people from the risks of unsafe and unsuitable premises.

People were cared for by staff who knew them well and were kind and compassionate. Staff were happy in their jobs and wanted to provide the best care they could. Staff were attentive, caring and kind. Staff had received the provider’s mandatory training and had regular supervisions and appraisals with their line manager’s

People’s needs had been assessed prior to going to the home and they had a care plan in place. We discussed with the registered manager that people staying at the home for a period of respite had summary care plans. These did not give enough information to guide staff to support their complex needs. The registered manager said they would review these.

The provider employed an activity co-ordinator who was based in the main communal area to support people’s social needs. The provider also employed a staff member for six hours a week to provide social support to people in their rooms who could not leave for health reasons or because they chose to stay in their rooms.

People, their relatives and staff expressed confidence in the registered manager and deputy manager. People’s views were sought on an informal basis, through regular meetings and an annual satisfaction survey. There were effective systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to access healthcare services. Staff worked closely with health professionals, including the GP and community nurses and referred people promptly. The home provides end of life care and staff ensured people received the appropriate support which included having appropriate medicines available for people nearing the end of their life, to manage their pain and promote their dignity.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People knew how to make a complaint if necessary. Where the registered manager had received complaints, they had followed the provider’s complaints policy.

More information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection and update: The last rating for this service was Good overall (published 29 June 2017). At this inspection we found the service remained good.

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating of the service at the last inspection.

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.