Archived: The Chestnuts Care Home

Updated 28 December 2019

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 was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

The Chestnuts Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with CQC. 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 unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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.

During the inspection-

We spoke with four people about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven staff including care staff, activities staff, the deputy manager and the registered manager. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We looked at a range of records. This included two people’s care records, associated risk assessments and multiple medication records. We looked at one staff in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed.

Updated 28 December 2019

About the service

The Chestnuts Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 29 older people. At the time of the inspection there were 26 people living at the service.

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

People spoke positively about living at The Chestnuts Care Home. They said they felt safe and that the staff were kind and caring.

People were supported by enough staff who were recruited safely and were skilled and knowledgeable. Staff had time to sit and chat with people and were not rushed. People were protected from the risks of abuse, discrimination and avoidable harm by staff who understood how to keep people as safe as possible. People had their medicines safely and on time.

People’s health care needs were assessed with them. These were monitored and regularly reviewed. Care plans were kept up to date with any change in preference or need. People had access to health care professionals and were supported to stay as healthy as possible. People ate well and told us they enjoyed their meals. They were supported to drink plenty.

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 were treated with compassion. People told us staff listened to them and their opinions were valued. People’s privacy and dignity were respected, and their independence was promoted. They had access to communal areas and a well-maintained garden, which included a sensory area. Staff understood how to protect people’s confidentiality.

People told us they knew how to complain; however, they did not have any complaints. People told us they would speak with the registered manager or staff and felt confident any concerns would be addressed. People were given important information in a format that suited them best, such as in larger print or with pictures. People told us there was plenty to keep them occupied each day. There were various activities both in the service and in the local community which people enjoyed.

The service was well-led. The registered manager promoted an open and inclusive culture where everyone was valued. The staff team worked flexibly and cohesively to provide a good quality of care. Staff felt supported and spoke passionately about working at the service.

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 (Report published 11 February 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.