A single inspector carried out this inspection and spoke with four people who use the service, one care assistant, the registered manager and a representative of the provider. The focus of the inspection was to answer five key questions; is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led?Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service and the staff told us, what we observed and the records we looked at. If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.
This is a summary of what we found:
Is the service safe?
People had been cared for in an environment that was safe, clean and hygienic. There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people that lived at Chestnut. The training records we saw showed us that staff had received training in order to perform their roles safely.
CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. No applications had been to the local DoLS team at the time of our inspection, but the registered manager showed us that they were in regular contact with them. This showed us that they understood their responsibilities to keep people safe.
One person told us, "I definitely feel safe here and would definitely recommend it".
Is the service effective?
It was clear from what we observed and from speaking with staff that they understood people's care and support needs. The care plans that we saw were up to date and contained information that was tailored towards people's individual needs. One person told us "the staff are brilliant" and another told us "staff know me and know what help I need".
Is the service caring?
Both the registered manager and the one care assistant that we spoke with and observed were kind and attentive to people's needs. Both demonstrated an in-depth knowledge of the people they were supporting. One staff member told us "I love being able to really care for people; it's all about the residents here". One person who used the service told us "here they make you feel like you are somebody".
Is the service responsive?
The records that we looked at confirmed that people's individual care needs and preferences had been recorded and that care had been planned and had taken place accordingly. We saw that people's personal choices were respected, such as what time they wanted to get up or go to bed.
Is the service well-led?
We saw that there were quality assurance processes in place and that people were asked for their feedback on the service they received on a regular basis. We also saw that the provider made changes to the service based on that feedback.