The Gardens Residential Home

Updated 10 March 2020

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 team was made up from two inspectors, an assistant 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.

Service and service type

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

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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 inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. 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. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the area quality director, registered manager, deputy manager, senior care workers, care workers, the well-being co-ordinator, the maintenance operative and the chef. 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 reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with two professionals who regularly visit the service.

Updated 10 March 2020

About the service

The Gardens Residential Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 39 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 47 people.

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

There were systems in place to reduce the risk of harm to people. Accidents and incidents were monitored effectively. Risks to people had been identified and measures were in place to support people safely. Medicines were managed safely by trained staff. Infection control measures were used to reduce the risk of infection.

People’s needs were assessed prior to admission. Staff received on-going training and support. People’s dietary needs were met. The premises and design were fit for purpose and met people’s needs. People’s capacity had been assessed.

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.

Staff showed caring interactions with people and they were passionate about supporting people. People were involved in their care and active discussions around their experiences. Staff supported people to ensure their dignity was protected.

People had comprehensive care plans in place which considered their likes, dislikes and preferences. Information was accessible to people in different ways to enable them to make a decision. Activities were available to people and their life stories were sought. Complaints were managed in line with the registered providers policy. People's end of life wishes, and preferences were recorded.

There was an open culture in the service and, people and staff spoke highly of the registered manager. Robust quality assurance systems were in place to monitor quality of the service. The registered manager understood their legal responsibilities and continuously found ways to improve care provided.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 7 March 2019) and there was a breach of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

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.