Cherry Tree House

Updated 13 February 2024

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors, 1 specialist nurse advisor and 1 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

Cherry Tree House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Cherry Tree House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. However, the current home manager had submitted their application to CQC.

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 sought feedback from the local authority and the local Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who used the service and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 15 members of staff including the senior management team, the home manager, nursing and care staff, the kitchen manager and laundry assistant. We spoke with one visiting health professional. We reviewed a range of records. This included care records for 10 people. We looked at 4 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.

Updated 13 February 2024

About the service

Cherry Tree House is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 81 people. The service provides support to older people, and people living with physical disabilities or dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 52 people using the service.

Care is provided across three floors and provides general nursing, dementia nursing and specialises in complex dementia care. All bedrooms are ensuite and there are a variety of communal areas on each floor including living and dining areas, adapted bathrooms and gardens.

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

Care and plans were comprehensive, personalised and contemporaneous that detailed people’s current care needs and included how to safely manage any identified risks. Medicines were managed safely by trained staff and people received their medicines as prescribed. There was a safeguarding policy in place and staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The home was very clean and followed appropriate infection control practices. We have made one recommendation about monitoring records and one recommendation about staff recruitment.

There was a mandatory training programme in place and staff received supervision and ongoing support. Feedback about food and drink was mixed and kitchen staff were aware of people’s preferences and individual risks around food and drink. People were supported to access healthcare and the service facilitated appropriate and timely referrals to other agencies and professionals.

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. We observed people making real choices throughout their day and they decided how they spent their time; what they wanted to do and when.

People received compassionate care from kind and caring staff. Staff we spoke with talked about people in a kind and compassionate manner and were passionate about providing good care. People were treated with dignity and respect from attentive and responsive staff.

People received person-centred care. Care plans provided guidance on how to support people, in accordance with their preferences, choices and communication needs. Activities were in the process of improvement and enrichment, and we observed people enjoying the new activities. Complaints were actively responded to.

The new senior management team had made significant improvements throughout the home since the last inspection and there was a culture of continuous development for the home. There was clear leadership and visions and values for the service. Management systems, such as audits and quality assurance, were robust and were now actively used to monitor and improve 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 and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 5 July 2022).

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.

At our last inspection we recommended that the provider review their recording processes around the administration of prescribed creams. We also recommended the provider review staffing arrangements. At this inspection we found the provider had made improvements

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

The overall rating for the service has changed to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘All inspection reports and timeline’ link for Cherry Tree House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Recommendations

We have made one recommendation about monitoring records and one recommendation about staff recruitment.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.