Archived: Seacroft Green Care Village

Seacroft Green Care Village is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 63 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 76 people. There are four separate units specialising in providing nursing care for working age adults, older people and those living with dementia.

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

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and identify when improvements were needed. These were not sufficiently robust to have identified all the issues we found in relation to safe care and treatment. Some care plans lacked up to date and accurate information to guide staff. People’s care interventions were not always recorded in a way that showed they were having all their needs met.

People told us they felt safe living at Seacroft Green Care Village. There were systems in place to recognise and respond to any allegations of abuse. People spoke highly of the permanent care staff although reported a high use of agency staff. Some people told us there were not enough staff on duty at all times. However, the provider’s dependency tool confirmed there were enough staff to meet people's needs. The provider was busy recruiting new staff to minimise the use of agency staff and they followed safe practices to ensure new recruits had the skills and values for the role and all the required checks were in place.

Infection control practices were safe, and the home was clean and tidy. Staff followed the latest government guidance to protect people from the risks associated with COVID-19. People, their relatives, and staff were asked for their views on the home and suggestions for improvements. Staff told us they had been supported by the provider and management during the pandemic. The provider had up to date policies and procedures which reflected current legislation and good practice guidance.

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 good (published 19 January 2021).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about safe care and treatment. We had received a number of complaints from relatives and several whistle-blowers had contacted us to raise concerns. This meant the home was scoring very high on our intelligence monitoring. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvement. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

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

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Seacroft Green Care Village on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.

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

The areas which had been identified at this inspection around medicine fridges and moving and handling risk assessments had or were being addressed by the management team. The manager was proactively looking into supporting people who were in their rooms in the communal areas where possible. We were assured these issues had no negative impact on the care provided.

Most people and relatives were happy with the care they or their relative was receiving. People living at the home and their relatives told us the home was a safe place for people to live. Staff demonstrated a good understanding about how to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Staff recruitment procedures were robust and there were enough staff to care for people safely. The premises were well maintained, with regular servicing of equipment and the building carried out. Staff were observed wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) when delivering care.

We received positive feedback about management and leadership from staff we spoke with. Staff told us there was a positive culture at the home since the new manager took over the post, with good team work throughout. The manager was looking into ensuring appropriate systems were in place to enable staff, relatives and people living at the home to provide feedback about the care they received.

We found audits in place supported the overall running of the home. The service was working with outside professionals to support and improve the home.

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

Rating at last inspection.

The last rating for this service was Good (published July 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management of medicines and people’s nursing care needs. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has not changed and remains Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Seacroft Green on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Why we inspected: This inspection was prompted by information of concern we received.

Rating at last inspection: At the last inspection the service was rated Requires Improvement (report published 25 July 2018) and there were two breaches 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.

People’s experience of using this service: People told us they felt well cared for by staff who were kind and respectful. Relatives said they were always made to feel welcome when visiting their family member.

Records relating to people's care were not always fully completed. This was addressed immediately by the manager.

People were cared for by staff who knew how to keep them safe and protect them from avoidable harm. Staffing numbers were sufficient to keep people safe. Medicines were managed safely. The provider followed safe recruitment procedures to ensure staff employed were suitable for their role. Incidents and accidents were investigated and actions were taken to prevent recurrence. The premises were clean and staff followed infection control and prevention procedures.

Staff completed an induction when they first commenced work at the service. Staff had completed training to ensure they had the skills they required for their roles. Staff felt supported and received supervision and appraisals of their performance.

Care was delivered by staff who were trained and knowledgeable about people's care and support needs. People were provided with a nutritious and varied diet and they were complimentary about the quality and choice of food offered. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The atmosphere within the home was welcoming and staff were warm and considerate towards the people they cared for. People and their relatives felt involved and supported in decision making. People's privacy was respected and their dignity maintained.

Staff engaged well with people, offering them choices and promoting their independence where possible. People had access to a range of activities and entertainment that they enjoyed. People's views and concerns were listened to and action was taken to improve the service as a result.

Robust systems were in place to monitor the quality of care provided and improve the service. The management team and staff engaged well with other services and had developed positive relationships.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

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

Seacroft Green Care Village accommodates up to 76 people across four separate units, each of which have separate adapted facilities. One of the units specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 46 people were using the service.

This first comprehensive rated inspection of Seacroft Green Care Village took place on 19 and 20 February 2018 and was unannounced. We found the overall rating for this service to be ‘Requires Improvement’. The rating is based on an aggregation of the ratings awarded for all 5 key questions.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Medicines were not always managed safely and we found areas of concern. These issues included gaps on room temperature monitoring charts, a lack of guidance for staff with regard to the application of topical medicines, items which were no longer in use had not been disposed of. The quality systems in place for monitoring medicines management had not identified these issues.

People's feedback about the food at the home was mostly negative. Although people enjoyed the home made food and snacks at the home, we received a number of negative comments relating to the frozen meals people were served for lunch and their evening meal. The provider had listened to people's concerns and was committed to making improvements for people. We have made a recommendation about this.

The design and adaptation of the home met people's needs on the whole. However, the addition of appropriate signage on the unit for people living with dementia should be considered by the provider. We have made a recommendation about this.

All the people we spoke with said they felt safe at Seacroft Green Care Village. Staff supported people to be as independent as they wanted to be and protected them from risks to their safety. Staff were trained in protecting people from abuse and understood their responsibilities to keep people safe.

There were enough staff to keep people safe and to support them with activities. The provider's recruitment procedures ensured that only staff suited to work at the service were employed.

The premises were clean and hygienic. Maintenance contracts were in place for premises and equipment and some regular safety checks were carried out. Staff practised effective infection control.

People's choices were respected and they were not restricted in any way. People spent their time the way they wanted. People were supported to have maximum choice about their daily routines and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The service ensured peoples human rights were protected and their cultural needs promoted. Staff completed a range of training to help ensure they had the skills and knowledge they needed to provide effective care. The registered manager and staff had a working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and understood the importance of people consenting to their care.

Most people told us the staff were caring and kind and that their privacy and dignity was respected at all times. We saw the registered manager had taken swift action when they had received negative feedback about staff's approach.

People experienced care and support that was planned to meet their needs. Care plans provided guidance to staff on people's care and support needs.

People and their relative's views were sought and acted upon. The provider's complaints procedure was displayed in the entrance area and records showed that complaints were responded to appropriately and constructively.

The service worked closely in partnership with other services to support people. The registered manager worked on making people feel the service was their home.

Systems were in place for monitoring quality and safety and actions were taken where areas for improvement and shortfalls had been identified.

We identified two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014, namely Regulation 12, Safe care and treatment and Regulation 17, Good governance. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.