• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Heritage Care Centre

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

30 Gearing Close, Tooting, London, SW17 6DJ

Provided and run by:
Life Style Care (2011) plc

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile
Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

All Inspections

07/08/2014

During a routine inspection

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 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) which looks at the overall quality of the service.

There was a registered manager at the service at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.

Heritage Care Centre is a care home for up to 72 people requiring nursing or personal care. It is split over three floors and has separate units for people with dementia. The ground floor has two elderly units, Cavell and Dalton. The first floor has two dementia units, Franciscan and Rectory. Each unit has a unit manager overseeing the care needs for people using the service. The third floor has a sensory room, hairdressing room, the laundry and staff room. There is an outdoor space for people to enjoy. All bedrooms are single occupancy with ensuite facilities. At the time of our inspection there were 68 people living at the home.

The home was welcoming, in an excellent state of repair and had a clean, airy smell. People using the service were happy and settled. They told us they felt safe, enjoyed living at the home and were treated well by staff. They complimented the food and told us that staff respected their wishes, including any religious or cultural needs. People were able to leave the home if they wanted, unless staff felt it was unsafe to do so. The provider followed appropriate guidance on Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), carried out risk assessments and involved people or their next of kin when making decisions which restricted people's movements.

Care records were updated by staff on a regular basis. The wishes of people using the service and their next of kin were recorded and taken into consideration when delivering care. Healthcare professionals such as GPs and community nurses were involved in people’s care and provided guidance for staff at the home.

Staff were familiar with the needs of people using the service. We observed staff interacting with people in a friendly, relaxed manner. Staff understood what was meant by treating people with dignity and respect. A range of group and individual activities were available for people. We observed some of these taking place and saw that people were engaged and enjoyed them.

The home was managed well and staff told us they felt valued. Training that was relevant to the work that staff were doing was provided and regular staff supervision took place.

The provider followed best practice guidance when delivering care.  The management team strove for excellence by following best practice and worked in partnership with other organisations to make sure they were providing a high quality service for people.  

9 January 2014

During a routine inspection

People using the service told us they liked living at the home. One person said "no-body ever forces me to do anything I don't want to. I enjoy being here very much". Another said, 'you can please yourself what you do". People and their relatives were happy with the staff at the home; "the staff are very good in what they do". A relative told us they were kept fully informed by staff at all times.

Each person using the service was assigned a key worker and a named nurse. Each person had individual care plans based on risk. Staff told us, and records confirmed that these were updated every month.

There was a four week rolling menu at the home. A dietician was consulted to help with meal planning for people that required a modified diet. All kitchen staff had obtained a basic or intermediate qualification in Food Hygiene.

There was a full time maintenance engineer for the home. Staff recorded maintenance issues in a log book which was checked daily. Repairs were carried out in house or by external contractors.

Appropriate identity checks were undertaken before staff began work and there was a comprehensive induction programme for new staff to familiarise themselves with the home. We looked at the staffing rota on two units during our inspection and saw that staff levels were consistent and any absences were covered.

Regular quality audits were carried out by the provider and improvements made based on the results of these.

5 February 2013

During a routine inspection

We looked at seven care plans and saw that assessments had been carried out for people before they moved into the home. One person told us "I can call this place home".

We looked at seven care plans, these were reviewed monthly. Care workers carried out thirty minute checks on all residents. One person told us "we check whether residents need anything, or if their call bell has not fallen".

We observed lunch being served, people enjoyed the food and were not rushed by care workers. One person told us "the food is lovely". Another person told us "there is always plenty to eat".

The provider had a policy for safeguarding vulnerable adults and whistleblowing. Staff that we spoke with confirmed that safeguarding was covered during their induction.

During our visit we observed a staff member while they carried out a medication round. We did a spot check of Medication Administration Records (MAR) charts for three people using the service and these correlated with the stock levels that we saw.

We spoke with relatives of people using the service, some of them commented about a lack of staff to assist their relatives at certain times. Staff on one unit told us "we are short staffed today".

The provider had a clear complaints procedure. People we spoke with felt that they could raise any complaints and felt confident that the provider would listen to their concerns. One relative told us "I can speak to the manager at any time".

19 January 2012

During a routine inspection

The people we spoke with told us they were happy with the care they received at Heritage Care Centre. They told us that they saw health care professionals when this was needed. Visitors to the home told us that the staff were friendly and responsive and that they always felt welcome. They said that they were able to talk to staff about any concerns they had about their relative.