Elsyng House Care Home

Updated 25 August 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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

This inspection was carried out by two inspectors, a CQC nurse specialist and a CQC pharmacist.

Four Experts by Experience also supported this inspection. Two attended the on-site inspection to gain feedback from people and two contacted relatives following the on-site inspection to gain their feedback about the home. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Elsyng House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Elsyng House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 16 March 2023 and ended on 20 April 2023. We visited the home on 16 and 17 March 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 19 people living at Elsyng House, 23 relatives, the registered manager, the deputy manager, 2 unit managers, the head of hospitality, the chef, a visiting healthcare professional, 6 care staff and 2 nurses. We looked at 11 people’s care plans and risk assessments, 16 people’s medicines records, 6 staff files including supervision and recruitment records, and other paperwork related to the management of the service including staff training, quality assurance and rota systems.

Updated 25 August 2023

About the service

Elsyng House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care. The home provides support to older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. One unit within the home specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. The home accommodates up to 76 people cross three floors. At the time of the inspection 74 people were living at Elsyng House.

Elsyng house is a new purpose-built care home based in Enfield, North London. The home was designed to fit in with the surrounding area and architecture. The home was designed to be as environmentally friendly as possible and was proud to be carbon neutral. Each person had a well decorated room with en-suite facilities. People had access to a large activity room, cinema, café area and a well-kept garden with a patio seating area.

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

People told us they felt the home was warm, welcoming and provided “Top notch” levels of care. Staff were said to be extremely kind and caring ensuring all of their care and support needs were met.

We found some concerns around the management of medicines using the electronic medicines management system. Following the inspection the provider took prompt action to address the concerns and sent us evidence of the actions they have taken.

Staff understood the principles of safeguarding and knew how to report any concerns. People’s risks were robustly assessed, and clear guidance given to staff on how to effectively keep people safe. Staff were recruited safely, and all relevant background checks completed before they started working at the home. Infection control was well managed, and staff had received training in infection control. During the inspection we found high levels of cleanliness throughout the home. There were no restrictions on visiting and we observed people having visitors throughout the inspection.

Staff were supported through regular supervision and appraisal. There were enough staff to ensure people’s care and support needs were met. People received a choice of food and there was a dedicated hospitality team who promoted choice. Staff were aware if any special dietary needs and this was provided. People were supported to attend routine medical appointments and were referred to healthcare professionals quickly if they became unwell or staff noticed a change in their usual presentation. 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.

Staff were consistently praised by relatives and staff for their attentive and caring attitude. People felt respected and well-treated. People were treated as partners in their care and were fully involved in planning their care.

The home provided a range of activities for people to take part in both inside and outside the home. There was a designated activities coordinator who met with people to plan what they wanted to do. Activities were meaningful and helped people live fuller lives. There was a complaints system in place, people and relatives knew how to complain and were confident any concerns would be dealt with.

There was good governance of the home, and the registered manager promoted an open culture which provided good outcomes for people. There were numerous systems in place to gain people and relatives’ feedback. We saw multiple examples of where feedback had been used to improve the quality of care. There were auditing systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of care. Staff were positive about the support they received from manager to help them in their role.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10 February 2021, and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.