Claremont House

Updated 10 February 2021

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 28 January 2021 and was announced.

Updated 10 February 2021

This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 24 July 2018. At our last inspection in June 2017, we rated the home overall as ‘requires improvement’, although no breaches of the regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 were found.

Claremont House 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.

Claremont House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people. The home has two floors and each floor contains two units which are known as Orchid, Rose, Iris and Lavender.

Recruitment processes were safe, although clearer recording of staff identification seen by the registered provider was needed. Staff we spoke with were able to describe the identification they provided which meant this was safe.

People told us staff were suitably skilled in their roles. Staff were supported through a programme of induction, supervision and training. There were sufficient numbers of staff in the home to meet people’s needs.

Care plans were concise, although they contained sufficient information for staff to provide effective care. People received timely access to healthcare and they had a positive mealtime experience.

Fire safety was sufficiently managed and the building was well maintained. The home had impressive gardens which people were able to freely access. Dementia friendly adaptations had been made to the home. The home was found to be clean and free from odour.

People consistently told us they felt safe living at Claremont House and systems in place ensured people were prevented from being at risk of harm. There was a calm atmosphere in the home throughout the duration of our inspection.

Although no complaints had been received since our last inspection, there were systems in place to show complaints would be dealt with effectively. People told us they knew how to make a complaint.

There was a programme of activities taking place and people told us they received sufficient stimulation which meant they were prevented from being socially isolated.

The registered manager was able to demonstrate how the home met the Accessible Information Standard. People’s equality, diversity and human rights were respected. Staff were seen to be kind and compassionate in their interactions with people. People told us staff respected their privacy and dignity.

Governance systems were effective in identifying areas for improvement and we saw action was taken where needed. People and staff were complimentary about the registered manager who was approachable.

The registered manager responded to concerns and specific incidents and took lessons learned to staff meetings to reduce the risk of them happening again.

The management of medicines was found to be mostly safe, although we have made a recommendation regarding time specific medicines. We have also made a recommendation around engagement with people and their representatives through meetings and surveys.