Clairleigh Nursing Home

Updated 17 March 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC's response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 4 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours' notice of the inspection.

Updated 17 March 2022

This inspection took place on 25 and 26 April 2018 and was unannounced. Clairleigh Nursing Home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing, or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Clairleigh Nursing Home accommodates up to 30 people. There were 25 people living at the home at the time of our inspection.

At the last comprehensive inspection in March 2017 we found breaches of regulations because risks to people were not always accurately assessed or managed safely and because the provider’s systems for monitoring the quality and safety of the service were not always effective in identifying issues or driving improvements. Following that inspection the provider wrote to us to tell us the action they would take to address our concerns. At this inspection we found that staff had addressed the issues we had identified, in line with the provider’s action plan.

The service had 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.

At this inspection we found risks to people had been assessed and staff worked to manage identified risks safely. People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff were aware of the action to take if they suspected abuse had occurred. People’s medicines were securely stored and safely administered. Medicine administration records were up to date an accurate.

The provider followed safe recruitment practices. Staffing levels were determined based on an assessment of people’s needs and there were sufficient staff deployed to keep people safe. The registered manager reviewed incidents and accidents when they occurred, and acted to reduce the likelihood of recurrence. Staff were aware of the steps to take to reduce the risk of infection when supporting people.

Staff were supported in their roles through an induction, training and regular supervision. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to a range of healthcare services. Staff worked to ensure people received consistent joined up care between different services. 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. Staff sought consent from people when offering them assistance and worked in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) where people lacked capacity to make decisions for themselves.

The living environment at the service met people’s needs. People were supported to maintain a balanced diet and most people spoke positively about the food on offer at the service. Staff treated people with dignity and respected their privacy. People were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. Staff treated people with care and consideration. People’s needs were assessed to ensure the home was able to meet their needs. They received care and support which reflected their individual needs and preferences.

People were able to maintain the relationships that were important to them. The provider offered people a range of activities in support of their need for social stimulation. Staff provided people with appropriate care and treatment at the end of their lives. The provider had a complaint policy and procedure in place which informed people on the steps to take to raise a concern. People and relative were aware of how to complain and expressed confidence that any issues they raised would be dealt with appropriately.

The service worked in partnership with other agencies including the local authority. People and staff told us the service was well run and spoke positively about the registered manager. Staff attended regular staff meetings to discuss the running of the service and the responsibilities of their roles. The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and acted to make improvements where issues were identified. People’s views on the service were sought through meetings and an annual survey and they told us they felt improvements were being made under the registered manager.