We carried out a review of the data available to us about Swallowfield Garden Care Home 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 Swallowfield Garden Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Swallowfield Garden Care Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 30 people living with dementia and/or a mental health condition at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 30 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were kept safe from risk of harm and staff had a good understanding of safeguarding processes. Risk assessments were robust and relevant. Staff were recruited safely. Medicines were managed safely. Systems were in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infection. Accidents and incidents were reported and analysed in a timely manner.
Managers were open and honest in their approach to supporting people. The provider had clearly defined roles and managers and staff were clear about their responsibilities. People were given the opportunity to regularly give feedback to improve service provision. The provider had clear audit processes to ensure good quality care.
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 4 August 2021)
At our last inspection we recommended that the provider review the systems they had in place to ensure risks were appropriately assessed and policies were being robustly reviewed and adhered to. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and in line with our previous recommendations.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service died. This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident. However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of risk of nutrition and hydration. This inspection examined those risks.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Swallowfield Garden Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Recommendations
We have made recommendations about record keeping.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
Swallowfield Garden Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 24 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 30 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Some improvements were required to ensure risks were appropriately assessed and policies were robustly reviewed. We have made a recommendation about how the service assess risk and review their policies. Staff spoke positively about the service and management. The registered manager reported incidents when necessary and completed lessons learned. Staff, service user and relative surveys had been sent out and were in the process of being reviewed. People and staff took part in regular meetings and the service worked in partnership with various organisations and healthcare professionals.
Staffing levels and recruitment practices were safe and medicines were being appropriately managed. Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures were in place and were being adhered to and people were safeguarded from abuse. People received the care and support they needed and care plans reflected this. Staff were supported and received appropriate training. Necessary health care referrals were being made, though people needed to be registered with a dentist, which had been made more difficult due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The home had made some adaptations to support people, but further improvements were required.
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.
The service promoted equality and diversity and people were supported to be as independent as possible. People and their relatives was involved in their care, and the service supported people to access advocacy when required.
People were receiving person centred care and care plans detailed people’s communication needs. Complaints were being actioned in line with their policy, however the policy needed updating, this was done during the inspection. The service supported people to maintain contact with loved ones in line with guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic. Service users were able to take part in various activities and the home had a dedicated activities co-ordinator. An end of life policy was in place and staff received end of life training.
We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities which most people take for granted. Right Support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.
The service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of right support, right care, right culture. People were given choices and the service promoted independence where possible. Staff knew people well and person-centred care was being provided. The service was supportive, and staff spoke positively about the manager and told us how they supported people to take part in various activities which was focussed around service user choice.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
This was the first inspection of a newly registered service.
Why we inspected
This service was registered with us on 31/03/2020 and this is the first 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 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 until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.