Apple Orchard

Updated 27 January 2021

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 coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 13 January 2021 and was announced.

Updated 27 January 2021

About the service: Apple Orchard is a residential care home. It provides accommodation and personal care for up to ten adults with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection there were nine people living at the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence.

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support in the following ways:

• People were involved in planning their care.

• People were supported to follow their interests, set goals and increase their independence.

• People had good access to their local community and opportunities to meet people and were supported to maintain relationships with friends and family.

People were supported by a small but consistent team of staff who were kind and caring. Staff had good relationships with people and knew them well. People told us they liked living at the service and wouldn’t change anything about it.

Staff knowledge in relation to people’s condition, their needs, and how to support them was thorough.

Care plans were person centred and included people’s personal goals for the year.

There was an open culture where staff and people could raise concerns or issues. People told us they felt safe at the service and felt happy to speak up.

Rating at last inspection: Good (August 2017).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up: We will continue our on-going monitoring of the service and all information we receive. We will use this information to determine when we next inspect the service.

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