We carried out a review of the data available to us about Heatherwood Care Centre on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Heatherwood Care Centre, you can give feedback on this service.
Heatherwood Care Centre is a care home providing personal care to up to 23 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 14 people using the service. Since the last inspection the service stopped nursing care and was now providing only residential care to people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received safe care at Heatherwood Care Centre and risks to people’s care were assessed and managed well. Staff were trained in safeguarding as part of their induction and again annually. The registered manager reported any allegations to the local authority safeguarding team and reviewed any lessons from safeguarding investigations, accidents and incidents and feedback on the service to improve. There were enough staff to care for people and recruitment practices were as expected in checking staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Health and safety checks were carried out of the premises and equipment to make sure they were safe. The premises were clean, tidy and hygienic and staff followed current infection control and hygiene practice to reduce the risk of infections.
The service was managed well and the registered manager was skilled and experienced and understood their role, as did all staff we spoke with. The registered manager and quality lead had good oversight of the service with regular checks and reviews to ensure people received high quality care. Communication with people, relatives and staff was good and their feedback was used as part of improving the service. Staff were well supported. Care was provided in a person-centred way. The service improved the environment following best practice advice relating to people living with dementia and a redecoration programme was underway to improve further. Good relationships were in place with local and national organisations and healthcare professionals.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
At the last inspection the service was rated good (report published January 2018).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
At the last inspection in June 2015, the service was rated "Good". At this inspection we found the service remained "Good".
Heatherwood Nursing Home is on a main road in West Purley with good access to transport and local shops. All areas of the home including people's bedrooms were clean, tidy, nicely decorated and well maintained. There was a calm, relaxed atmosphere in the home.
People were satisfied with the quality of care they received. They received care which met their individual needs from a consistent staff team who knew them well and were kind and caring. Staff obtained people's consent before providing care or support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in a way which maintained their privacy and dignity.
People were supported to be as independent as they could be. They were also encouraged and assisted to keep in contact with their family and friends, and to participate in organised activities which helped to ensure they did not become socially isolated.
People were protected from abuse and foreseeable harm. They felt safe and knew who to speak to if they had any concerns about their safety. There was a sufficient number of staff to help support people safely and meet their needs. The provider ensured staff had the necessary training, skills and experience to support people effectively.
Staff encouraged people to have a balanced diet and a sufficient amount to eat and drink. People were complimentary about the choice and standard of their meals. Staff supported people to maintain good health and liaised well with outside social and health care professionals.
There were effective procedures in place to ensure that people received their medicines as prescribed. The provider's systems for ordering, storing, recording and disposing of people's medicines were understood and adhered to by staff.
People were given opportunities to feedback on the care they received. They felt able to complain if the need arose. The provider and registered manager used people's feedback to improve the quality of care delivered by developing action plans to address areas which required improvement. There were appropriate systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care people received.
The provider and registered manager had worked in adult social care for many years. They understood how to meet the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008. The service was well organised and managed and they had plans to improve it further.
More detailed information is in the findings below.
We inspected Heatherwood Nursing Home on 24 June 2015. The inspection was unannounced.
Heatherwood Nursing Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 22 adults who may also require nursing care. On the day of our inspection there were 20 people living in the home.
The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the provider.’
At the time of our inspection, the home was in the process of refurbishment which had been ongoing for several months. We were concerned about the lack of security, as we were able to enter the home, wander around and speak to people for fifteen minutes before we found a member of staff. Since our inspection, the refurbishment of the entrance area has been completed and access to the home can only be gained via a staff controlled secure door entry system.
Staff had been trained in safeguarding adults. They knew how to recognise the signs of abuse and how to report any concerns. There were procedures and risk assessments in place that staff implemented to reduce the risk of harm to people.
The manager and staff understood the main principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People received their medicines safely and were adequately protected against the risk and spread of infection.
People were cared for by staff who were recruited through a thorough recruitment process. Appropriate checks were carried out on applicants before they began to work with people. The majority of staff were experienced care workers who had the skills, knowledge and experience to care for people safely.
There was a sufficient number of staff on duty to care for people safely and effectively. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and were supported by the management through relevant training, supervision and performance reviews.
People were satisfied with the care they received and told us they were treated with respect and kindness. Staff ensured people received a nutritious, balanced diet and people who required it were supported to eat their meals. People were happy with the quality of their meals and said they were given enough to eat and drink.
People felt involved in their care planning and in control of the care they received. There were a variety of activities for people to participate in within the home but some people felt that more could be done to support people to participate in activities outside the home.
People’s healthcare needs were met by suitably qualified staff. Regular checks were carried out to maintain people’s health and well-being. People also had access to healthcare professionals and staff liaised well with external healthcare providers. People were supported to plan their end of life care.
There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care people received. People felt able to express their views and told us the management and staff were responsive to their complaints and comments.
We inspected Heatherwood Nursing Home on 24 June 2015. The inspection was unannounced.
Heatherwood Nursing Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 22 adults who may also require nursing care. On the day of our inspection there were 20 people living in the home.
The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and shares the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law with the provider.’
At the time of our inspection, the home was in the process of refurbishment which had been ongoing for several months. We were concerned about the lack of security, as we were able to enter the home, wander around and speak to people for fifteen minutes before we found a member of staff. Since our inspection, the refurbishment of the entrance area has been completed and access to the home can only be gained via a staff controlled secure door entry system.
Staff had been trained in safeguarding adults. They knew how to recognise the signs of abuse and how to report any concerns. There were procedures and risk assessments in place that staff implemented to reduce the risk of harm to people.
The manager and staff understood the main principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People received their medicines safely and were adequately protected against the risk and spread of infection.
People were cared for by staff who were recruited through a thorough recruitment process. Appropriate checks were carried out on applicants before they began to work with people. The majority of staff were experienced care workers who had the skills, knowledge and experience to care for people safely.
There was a sufficient number of staff on duty to care for people safely and effectively. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and were supported by the management through relevant training, supervision and performance reviews.
People were satisfied with the care they received and told us they were treated with respect and kindness. Staff ensured people received a nutritious, balanced diet and people who required it were supported to eat their meals. People were happy with the quality of their meals and said they were given enough to eat and drink.
People felt involved in their care planning and in control of the care they received. There were a variety of activities for people to participate in within the home but some people felt that more could be done to support people to participate in activities outside the home.
People’s healthcare needs were met by suitably qualified staff. Regular checks were carried out to maintain people’s health and well-being. People also had access to healthcare professionals and staff liaised well with external healthcare providers. People were supported to plan their end of life care.
There were systems in place to assess and monitor the quality of care people received. People felt able to express their views and told us the management and staff were responsive to their complaints and comments.
We reviewed four people's care files and found that people's needs were assessed and their care and treatment was delivered in accordance with their care plan. People were satisfied with the way their care was delivered. People using the service told us, 'I am very happy here.' 'The staff are lovely.' A relative said of the service, "the staff are their best asset, I have nothing but praise for them.'
We found that people were supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. People were provided with a choice of suitable and nutritious food and drink.
People who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening. We looked at a variety of records relating to the people using the service, staff and management of the service. We found the records were well organised, up to date and fit for purpose.
We were shown many of the rooms of people who live at the service. Some rooms had been individually decorated, with personal photographs on display, although staff told us this was due to personal preference. People we spoke to told us they were happy with their room.
People who use the service had planned activities throughout the week. One person told us about their interests and other people told us they enjoyed the musical entertainment provided at the home. The hairdresser visits Heatherwood twice a week. The home also arranges communion for those who wish to take it and celebrates birthdays. Pictures of these celebrations and various outings were on display in the entrance hall.
We spoke to some people and they indicated they were happy at Heatherwood Nursing Home and positive about the staff.
People we saw and spoke to indicated they were happy with their care. We observed two people sat talking together in the communal lounge. We spoke to another person who was happy to be in their own room.
During our visit we saw that people were able to move around the home using a variety of mobility aids including walking frames and wheelchairs. We saw staff helping individuals to mobilise during our time spent at the home.
The feedback we received from visiting friends and relatives was also extremely positive.