Archived: The Grange

Updated 21 December 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 19 and 20 September 2017. The first day of our inspection was unannounced. We let the team leader know we would be returning and indicated it was likely to be the following day. The inspection was completed by one inspector and an 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.

Prior to our inspection the provider had completed a provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they intend to make. We reviewed the information we held about the service and looked at notifications they had sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required by law to send to us. The inspection considered information shared by the local authority who have responsibility for commissioning services.

During the inspection we spoke with 14 people who lived at the home, three visiting relatives and two healthcare professionals.

We also spoke with five staff members including senior care staff. In addition we spoke with the team leader and the provider’s representative. Following the inspection we spoke on the telephone with the registered manager. We looked at care plans and risk assessments relating to two people plus medicine records for four people. We also looked at records maintained by the management team such as audits, minutes from meetings and compliments and complaints.

Updated 21 December 2017

The Grange provides accommodation with personal care for up to 34 people. People usually came to the Grange for rehabilitation direct from hospital in order to regain skills such as improvement in their mobility before returning to their own home or to alternative accommodation. People’s stay at The Grange was up to a maximum of four weeks. At the time of our inspection 18 people were living at the home. At the last inspection in June 2015 the service was rated Good.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection although they were not present at the time of our inspection. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People who needed assistance with the administration of their medicines told us they received these as prescribed and when needed. However medicines which required specific storage arrangements were not stored correctly.

People told us they felt safe living at the home and liked and related well with the staff who were supporting them. Staff knew how to keep people safe and whom to report any concerns about people’s safety to. People felt there were sufficient staff available to meet their needs and confirmed the staff on duty were consistent and known to them. Risks to people were assessed and known to staff. Accidents and incidents were reviewed and analysed to identify any trends.

The care people received was carried out by staff who received regular training and support to enable them to do their job. Staff felt supported and enjoyed the work they were employed to do. Staff told us they were well supported by the management. Management were available to offer guidance to staff and assisted in the provision of care as needed.

People told us they were consulted about their care and support. People were not restricted and staff had awareness about the importance of this. Most people were complimentary about the food provided and confirmed special diets were catered for and a choice available to them.

People felt staff responded to them as needed although there were times when improvements were identified as needed during the inspection. Records completed by staff did not always reflect drinks people had received to meet their personal needs. People felt confident to make complaints in the event of them needing to do so.

People were supported within the home by healthcare professionals to assist in their rehabilitation to return home or move to alternative care locations. People’s healthcare needs were met with the support of other healthcare professionals as needed.

People were involved in making plans about their care at the home and when they returned home. People were aware the time they were able to spend at the home was limited while they received rehabilitation. Although people received exercises to help with their mobility they told us they had little to do throughout the day other than watch television and talk with others.

The views of people were sought once they had left the home and returned to their own property or moved to another care home.