Farnham Mill Nursing Home

Updated 6 August 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

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

Three inspectors carried out the inspection. One inspector reviewed additional documentary evidence off-site.

Service and service type

Farnham Mill Nursing Home 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection-

We spoke with six people who lived at the home and six relatives. We spoke with nine care and nursing staff, the registered manager, the deputy manager, the HR manager, the director of care and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We observed the support people received from staff and whether staff were available when people needed care. We reviewed six people’s care records, including their risk assessments and support plans. We looked at accident and incident records, quality monitoring systems and the arrangements for managing medicines.

After the inspection

We reviewed further evidence sent to us by the provider, including health and safety records and evidence of communication with relatives. We spoke with a professional who had recently visited the home.

Updated 6 August 2021

About the service

Farnham Mill Nursing Home provides personal and nursing care for up to 65 older people, including people living with dementia. The home is purpose-built and provides accommodation over three floors. There were 58 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

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

There were enough staff on each shift to meet people’s needs. People received their care from staff who knew them well and had the training they needed to provide safe care.

Any risks involved in people’s care were recorded and plans were developed to mitigate them. Lessons were learned from adverse events. Accident and incident records were analysed, and measures put in place to reduce the risk of a similar incident happening again.

The provider’s recruitment procedures helped ensure only suitable staff were employed. Staff understood their responsibilities in protecting people from abuse and knew how to report any concerns they had.

Medicines were managed safely. Measures were in place to minimise the risk of infections.

The provider’s quality monitoring systems helped ensure people received safe care. The management team and staff communicated important information about people’s needs effectively. People’s care records were accurate and up to date.

People and their relatives told us their views about the service were listened to. Relatives were encouraged to be involved as partners in their family members’ care.

The provider ensured relatives were kept informed about their family members’ wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The provider had also considered the effect on staff of the pandemic and put support mechanisms in place.

Staff were well supported by their managers and worked well as team to meet people’s needs.

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.

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 14 August 2019.)

Why we inspected

We received information of concern in relation to staffing levels and the way in which staff were managed. 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 found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern or that staff were not adequately supported by the management team. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this report.

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.