Archived: The Yews

Updated 5 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 23 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 notice of the inspection.

Updated 5 March 2022

This comprehensive inspection was carried out on 19 October 2017. The inspection visit was unannounced.

The Yews is a residential care home which provides accommodation and personal care for up to 13 older people. The care home is situated in Kettering Northamptonshire. On the day of our inspection there were 13 people using the service.

At the last Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection on 19 August 2015, the service was rated Good in all domains.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service had a registered manager. The provider for the service was also the registered manager. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People continued to receive safe care. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise signs and symptoms of abuse and felt confident in how to report them. People had risk assessments in place to enable them to be as independent as they could be. Effective recruitment processes were followed by the service and there were enough staff to meet people’s needs. People received their prescribed medicines as prescribed.

The care that people received continued to be effective. There were sufficient staff, with the correct skill mix, on duty to support people with their needs. Staff received an induction process and on-going training to ensure they were able to provide care based on current practice when supporting people. Staff were well supported with regular supervisions and appraisals.

People were supported to make decisions about all aspects of their life; this was underpinned by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Staff were knowledgeable of this guidance and correct processes were in place to protect people. Staff gained consent before supporting people. People were supported to maintain good health and nutrition.

Staff provided care and support in a caring and meaningful way and people had developed positive relationships with them. Staff were caring and treated people with respect, kindness and courtesy. They knew the people who used the service well and people and relatives, where appropriate, were involved in the planning of their care and support.

People continued to receive care that was responsive to their needs. Care plans had been developed with people and their families if appropriate to identify what support they required and how they would like this to be provided. People participated in a range of activities which kept them entertained and enabled them to follow their hobbies. People knew how to complain. There was a complaints procedure in place which was accessible to all.

The culture was open and honest and focused on each person as an individual. Staff put people first, and were committed to continually improving each person's quality of life. Quality assurance systems ensured people received a high quality service driven by improvement.