• Care Home
  • Care home

Forest Care Village Elstree and Borehamwood

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Forest Care Village, 10-20 Cardinal Avenue, Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, WD6 1EP (020) 8236 2000

Provided and run by:
Aspen Village Limited

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Forest Care Village Elstree and Borehamwood 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 Forest Care Village Elstree and Borehamwood, you can give feedback on this service.

25 January 2022

During a routine inspection

About the service

Forest Care Village Elstree and Borehamwood is a care home registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to 178 people aged 18 and over with a range of complex health and care needs. At the time of our inspection 143 people were using the service.

Accommodation for people is spread over three floors divided in separate units, each of which have separate adapted facilities. Three of the units specialise in providing care to people living with dementia whereas in the remaining four units are for people with nursing needs. There is also a short stay unit for people needing rehabilitation after a stay in hospital.

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

The registered manager effectively used the providers governance systems to identify areas in the service they provided where improvements were needed. These included improving documentation, recording in care plans and improving communication with health and social care professionals as well as relatives. They also identified the need for a clinical lead for the short stay unit. Regular meetings were in place for staff and people to ensure they were contributing their views about the running of the home and lessons were learnt when things went wrong. There was a service improvement plan in place and actions were checked for completion to ensure improvements were made where needed.

People and their relatives felt the care and support people received was safe and met their needs. Staff were proactive in identifying and reporting any concerns to their managers or external safeguarding authorities if there was a need for it. Risk assessments were developed to give staff guidance in how to reduce risks and keep people safe from harm. Staff wore correct personal protective equipment (PPE) and followed safe infection control processes to protect people from Covid-19. People’s medicines were managed safely. The registered manager had measures in place to help ensure there were enough staff to support people safely.

People’s needs were assessed prior of moving into the home and care plans were developed to ensure their needs were consistently met. Care plans were regularly updated, and people told us they were actively involved in this. People had enough to eat and drink. Staff asked for dietician and other health professionals’ input for those at risk of malnutrition. Staff received training and were supported through supervisions, team meetings and competency assessments to understand and carry out their roles effectively.

People were happy with the daily activities and entertainment offered to them by the engagement team. People told us the care and support they received was personalised and met their needs. Not every person living in the home wanted to discuss their end of life care wishes. For people who wanted and expressed their wishes these were included in their care plan and staff were knowledgeable about their needs.

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.

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 09 October 2019).

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. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

Follow up

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

26 January 2021

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Forest Care Village spreads across three floors and accommodates people in separate units, each of which have separate adapted facilities. Three of the units specialise in providing care to people living with dementia whereas in the remaining four units people have nursing needs. 158 people were living in the home at the time of the inspection.

We found the following examples of good practice.

People were clearly placed at the centre of their care. Their health and wellbeing were carefully assessed in regard to COVID-19. Decisions were made in people’s best interest where it was needed. At the time of the inspection there was a decision made to restrict visits. People had access to video calls or phone calls to communicate with their family.

Measures were in place for people who needed family support for maximising their health and wellbeing to have their family member visiting. These measures included relatives wearing appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), same family member visiting and testing before being allowed in the home.

The registered manager increased the activities in the home at the beginning of the pandemic to ensure staff could spend one to one time with people. People were supported to spend time in communal areas if they wanted, socially distancing from other people and were given the option to wear face masks.

Regular testing was in place for staff and people. Where positive test results were found people and staff were self-isolating to minimise the risk of spreading the infection. Staff were allocated to work in their own units and only in emergency situations were asked to work in different areas of the home.

Staff told us they received Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) training, this included how to safely put and take off their PPE. The staff told us their unit manager and the registered manager were always available to support them if needed.

The service was clean and hygienic. Additional cleaning tasks and schedules had been implemented by the registered manager and enough housekeeping staff were allocated to ensure cleaning was on-going throughout the day.

The provider had developed and reviewed their policies, procedures and guidance for the service to ensure staff had up to date knowledge to care for people safely. The business continuity plan in place was updated by the provider to detail how to respond to emergencies during the pandemic including when high number of staff were unable to work.

Quality assurance audits were being completed during the pandemic and actions taken when needed to ensure best practice guidance was followed by staff.

27 August 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service

Forest Care Village is a care home registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to 178 people aged 18 and over with a range of complex health and care needs. At the time of our inspection 129 people were using the service.

Forest Care Village spreads across three floors and accommodates people in separate units, each of which have separate adapted facilities. Three of the units specialise in providing care to people living with dementia whereas in the remaining four units people have nursing needs.

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

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.

People felt safe in the home and staff knew how to identify and report any concerns to their managers or external safeguarding authorities. Risk assessments were developed to give staff guidance in how to mitigate risks and keep people safe from harm. The environment in some places needed deep cleaning and re-decoration to ensure it not presented an infection control risk. Not every staff member responded promptly to an unplanned fire alarm on the day of the inspection. Some people felt there were not enough staff at times to take them out, however they had not had to wait long for their needs to be met in the home.

People’s needs were assessed and care plans developed to give information for staff to meet those needs effectively. Staff received training and were supported through regular supervisions and meetings to understand their roles. People`s dietary needs were met and where they were identified at risk of malnutrition staff referred them for specialist support, like dietician or GP.

People told us staff were kind and caring and supported them in a respectful way. People were encouraged to participate in their care as much as possible and where they were not able, staff ensured that the care they received was in their best interest. Opportunities were created for people to participate in activities and social events organised by staff.

Governance systems in place promptly identified areas in need of improvement and these were actioned in a timely manner by the registered manager. Regular meetings were in place for staff and people to ensure they were contributing their views about the running of the home. Action plans were developed and checked for completion to ensure improvements were made where needed.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 8 September 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.

26 June 2018

During a routine inspection

We carried out an unannounced inspection at Forest Care Village on 26 June 2018. At the last inspection on 05 December 2017, we asked the provider to make immediate improvements in some areas of the care and support people received. These areas were around risk management for people, safeguarding systems and processes, nutrition, consent to care, personalised care, dignity and governance systems. This service has been in Special Measures. Services that are in Special Measures are kept under review and inspected again within six months. We expect services to make significant improvements within this timeframe. During this inspection the service demonstrated to us that improvements have been made and is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is now out of Special Measures.

Following our inspection on 05 December 2017 we were informed by the local authority that Environmental Health officers had served a Hygiene Emergency Prohibition Notice on Forest Care Village due to an infestation of cockroaches. At this inspection we found that this notice had been lifted and the cockroach infestation had been eradicated.

Forest Care Village 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.

Forest Care Village is registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to 178 people aged 18 and over with a range of complex health and care needs. At the time of our inspection 120 people were using the service.

Forest Care Village spreads across three floors and accommodates people in separate units, each of which have separate adapted facilities. Three of the units specialise in providing care to people living with dementia whereas in the remaining four units people have nursing needs.

There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.

At this inspection we found that significant improvements were made and although some areas were still developing and improving, however, people received personalised care and support which was safe and protected them from the risk of harm.

Following the inspection on 05 December 2017 we shared our findings with the Local Authority and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG). The different funding authorities and local commissioning group worked closely with the provider and the registered manager providing support to empower Forest Care Village staff and to monitor improvements as part of their quality improvement process. There were regular service improvement meetings where different health and social care professionals gave feedback following their visits and assessments carried out at the home to the provider and register manager. A manual handling specialist had observed staff’s practices and provided training. The CCG had allocated two nurses two days a week to observe and empower staff employed by the home to develop their skills further in recognising people`s changing health needs. At the time of this inspection the support from the different external professionals was recently withdrawn except for PEG specialist nurses who were training and assessing staff`s competencies in the management of percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy (PEG)`s. PEG is an endoscopic medical procedure in which a tube is passed into a patient's stomach through the abdominal wall, most commonly to provide a means of feeding when oral intake is not adequate.

The provider reviewed their governance systems and developed this further to ensure that this was effective in identifying areas in need of improvement without the permanent support from the local authority. The provider has transitioned to electronic care planning which meant that staff could access people`s records from their hand-held devices and they updated the records when they delivered support to people.

People told us that they felt safe living in the home. Staff demonstrated they had the knowledge to identify potential abuse and also the process for reporting concerns. We saw notices and information displayed throughout the service informing people, staff and visitors how to report concerns and relevant contact numbers for external safeguarding authorities. Referrals to local safeguarding authorities and CQC were done in a timely manner.

There were adequate staff on duty to support people in a timely way. Call bells were responded to within a couple of minutes and people confirmed staff responded when they requested help. We reviewed rotas and saw that adequate staff were deployed to assist people safely.

People’s individual risks were assessed and where risks were identified, measures were put in place to help reduce and mitigate those risks. Staff demonstrated a good knowledge about people and could tell us how they mitigated risks to people`s well-being.

People who lived with specific health conditions had care plans in place to address this area of their needs and staff had guidance on how to maximise people`s health. People`s end of life care needs were assessed and plans were in place to evidence that people`s wishes, likes and dislikes were considered when staff created care plans. Staff could tell us what people liked and how they wished to be cared for.

Infection control measures were in place. Staff were observed to use personal protective equipment, including the use of gloves and aprons while supporting people with personal care. People’s medicines were managed safely in most cases. Medicines were stored safely and administered by trained staff.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager and unit managers and were encouraged to have their say about any concerns they had in how the service operated. Staff attended regular meetings and discussed issues that were important to them. They also had regular supervisions where their performance and development were reviewed. Staff told us they received training and support to carry out their roles effectively. Recruitment processes were robust and ensured that the staff employed were suitable to work in this type of care settings.

Electronic care plans were well developed, personalised and regularly reviewed. However not all the features this care planning system offered were developed to full capacity at the time of the inspection. Not every person we spoke with were aware of their care plans or the content of it, however they told us they had or were waiting for a review of their care needs.

People were asked for their consent to the day to day care and support they received from staff. We observed staff assisting people and communicating with them and asking for their involvement in the task. People told us and we observed that staff protected their dignity and privacy.

The principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) were followed by staff and where Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations were in place with conditions listed on the restrictions to people`s freedom plans were in place to meet these and keep people safe.

People were positive about the care and support they received and told us staff were kind and caring. People were supported to engage in a range of arts, crafts, and hobbies that were of interest to them. There were singalong musical events, sporting events and outside entertainers visited the home. People were also supported to attend community events. People who were less able to engage in social activities had an identified need for staff to spend meaningful moments with them outside the care delivery, however we saw that some of these moments were not completed. This area of the service was still improving to ensure that people in their bedrooms were not at risk of isolation.

People told us they liked the food provided to them and they had enough choices. People`s dietary needs were met and we found that staff referred people to specialist support in case they were at risk of malnutrition.

After the previous inspection there was extensive support provided by the Local Authority, CCG and other partner agencies involving deployment of their own qualified staff to help the provider identify where they needed improvements and agreed actions were put in place to improve the quality and safety of the care provided to people. This support was recently withdrawn and the registered manager and the provider were yet to prove that the service could sustain the improvements achieved.

Systems had been developed to identify shortfalls and address these areas as needed. Communication through the management team had been improved. There were monthly clinical and quality meetings to discuss all areas of the service, internal audits completed and any incidents that had occurred. This enabled the management team to review previous and ongoing action plans to help ensure they were effective. Lessons were learned following incidents.

The registered manager effectively monitored the quality of the care provided to people and they were regularly walking the floors helping, coaching and mentoring staff. Regular surveys carried out evidenced that people were feeling positive about the changes in the home.There were regular relatives and residents meetings organised and a `you said, we did` poster to evidence when people requests were fulfilled, however there were some people who told us that they were disappointed that not all the issues they brought up in meetings were actioned.

5 December 2017

During a routine inspection

We carried out a responsive comprehensive unannounced inspection at Forest Care Village on 05 December 2017. This inspection was in response of the concerns the Care Quality Commission (CQC) received from members of the public and local funding authorities. At our last inspection on 30 November 2016 we found the service was meeting the required standards. At this inspection we found that there were serious failings from staff and management to ensure people received care and support in a safe and effective way. Following our visit to the service we were informed by the local authority that Environmental Health officers had served a Hygiene Emergency prohibition Notice on Forest Care Village due to an infestation of cockroaches.

Forest Care Village 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.

Forest Care Village is registered to provide personal and nursing care for up to 178 people aged 18 and over with a range of complex health and care needs. At the time of our inspection 161 people were using the service.

Forest Care Village spreads across three floors and accommodates people in separate units, each of which have separate adapted facilities. Three of the units specialise in providing care to people living with dementia whereas in the remaining four units people have nursing needs.

There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 who were able to talk to us told us that they felt safe living in the home. However seven people and two relatives felt there were not enough staff to meet their needs in a timely way and also that the agency staff working in the home were not knowledgeable about their needs which had impacted on their dignity and general well-being. Some staff also told us they were rushed and felt under pressure to complete tasks not having time to spend with people. We observed staff working in a task led way. For example, asking people to finish their meals in a hurry or moving people without giving people time to actively participate in the process.

Risks to people`s well-being and health were not always identified, assessed or mitigated in a way to reduce them. Where people were assessed as requiring a fortified diet to help reduce the risk of malnutrition they were not provided this by the kitchen staff who were not aware of people’s needs. Where people had pressure relieving equipment in place to help prevent the development of pressure ulcers the checks carried out by staff did not effectively identify faults or wrong settings on air mattresses. There was a risk that this shortfall had contributed to people developing pressure ulcers.

People who lived with specific health conditions had no care plans in place to address this area of their needs and staff had no guidance on how to maximise people`s health. People`s end of life care needs were not assessed, there were no plans in place to evidence that people`s wishes, likes and dislikes were considered when staff created care plans. Staff could not tell us what people liked and how they wished to be cared for.

People who came to harm because of the measures in place to mitigate risks were ineffective had not been referred to local safeguarding authorities. This meant that further actions had not always been implemented to keep people safe. Staff were knowledgeable about signs and symptoms of abuse and their responsibilities to report. However we noted instances when staff had reported concerns to their managers but these had not been reported to external safeguarding authorities as required under local safeguarding protocols.

People were not always protected from the risk of infections. There were insufficient control measures implemented to help protect people and staff from infectious diseases. Medicine management systems were in place to aid staff to administer medicines safely as intended by the prescriber; however we found in one instance where a person had not received their pain relief as prescribed.

People who had complex health care needs had not been properly assessed and care plans had not been developed around their health needs to offer guidance to staff on how to maximise people`s health and keep them safe.

People with less complex care needs told us they knew about their care plans. However, they told us they had not reviewed these for a long time. Care plans we reviewed for people who were less able to communicate with us were not up to date and not reflective of people`s current needs. Care plans we reviewed were written in a style that did not promote people`s dignity.

People were not asked for their consent to the day to day care and support they received from staff. We observed staff assisting people without communicating with them or asking for their involvement. People who were less able to communicate verbally had not always had their dignity and privacy protected by staff. Staff did not follow the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). Staff were not aware if people had Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) authorisations in place which put restrictions on people`s freedom in order to keep them safe.

People with less complex care needs and who were more independent were positive about the care and support they received and the way staff supported them to remain independent and participate in social activities. They told us staff protected their dignity and privacy and they were very happy living in the home.

Staff told us they received training and support to carry out their roles effectively. We saw that there was an effective training monitoring system used by the registered manager to identify staff who needed refresher training. Recruitment processes were robust and ensured that the staff employed were suitable to work in this type of care settings.

People told us they liked the food provided to them and they had enough choices. People who had to maintain a healthy diet and lose weight were appropriately supported by staff; however the needs of the people at risk of malnutrition or requiring special diets were not always met effectively.

The atmosphere at Forest Care Village was welcoming throughout the day. People who were able were congregating in the main foyer where they had drinks and cakes served and had live entertainment, however people who spent time in their bedrooms were at risk of social isolation.

Some people told us they did not know who the registered manager was; however they knew the unit manager responsible for the unit they lived in. They gave us mixed views about if they felt confident to raise concerns and complain to the managers. Some people told us they did not feel they had a voice; other people told us they felt listened to.

The registered manager had no formal systems in place to provide them with an overview of the service. They had no system to identify themes or trends and were dependent on feedback from the clinical manager for their information and on different audits carried out on the units. However we found that these audits were not consistent and at times only provided limited information about the issues found. There was little evidence found in meeting minutes that lessons were learned or that actions were implemented to improve the quality of the care people received.

The overall rating for this service is 'Inadequate' and the service is therefore in 'special measures'. Services in special measures will be kept under review and, if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider's registration of the service, will be inspected again within six months.

The expectation is that providers found to have been providing inadequate care should have made significant improvements within this timeframe. If not enough improvement is made within this timeframe so that there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action in line with our enforcement procedures to begin the process of preventing the provider from operating this service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration within six months if they do not improve.

This service will continue to be kept under review and, if needed, could be escalated to urgent enforcement action. Where necessary, another inspection will be conducted within a further six months, and if there is not enough improvement so there is still a rating of inadequate for any key question or overall, we will take action to prevent the provider from operating this service. This will lead to cancelling their registration or to varying the terms of their registration.

For adult social care services the maximum time for being in special measures will usually be no more than 12 months. If the service has demonstrated improvements when we inspect it and it is no longer rated as inadequate for any of the five key questions it will no longer be in special measures.

30 November 2016

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 30 November 2016 and was unannounced. At our last inspection on 1 and 6 July 2015 we found the service was not meeting the required standards at that time. This was in relation to an accurate, complete and contemporaneous record in respect of each service user, including a record of care and treatment provided to the service user and of decisions taken in relation to the care and treatment had not been maintained. However, at this inspection the provider had made the required improvements.

Forest Care Village provides accommodation; personal and nursing care for up to 178 people aged 18 and over with a range of complex care needs. At the time of our inspection 161 people were using the service.

There was a manager in post who had registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 who used the services at Forest Care Village, their relatives and professionals involved with people’s care and support gave us positive and complimentary feedback about the service and said that they had no concerns about the care and support that people received.

People told us they felt safe living at Forest Care Village. People had health care and support plans in place to help staff know how they liked their needs to be met. Risks to people’s safety and welfare had been identified and support had been planned to enable people to live as safely as possible whilst enjoying a variety of opportunities for engagement and stimulation. There were appropriate numbers of staff available to meet people’s care and support needs.

Staff members understood their roles and responsibilities and were supported by the registered manager and unit managers to maintain and develop their skills and knowledge. People enjoyed a varied healthy diet and their health needs were catered for.

The atmosphere at Forest Care Village was welcoming and there was a comfortable rapport between the staff and people who used the service. People’s relatives were encouraged to be involved in developing people’s support plans and to visit the home at any time. Staff treated people with compassion, promoted their dignity and treated them with respect.

There was an open culture at the home, people’s relatives and staff told us that they were completely comfortable to speak with the registered manager if they had a concern. The provider had arrangements in place to regularly monitor health and safety and the quality of the care and support provided for people who used the service.

01 and 06 July 2015

During a routine inspection

This inspection was carried out on 01 and 06 July 2015 and was unannounced.

Forest Care Village provides accommodation personal and nursing care for up to 178 people aged 18 and over with a range of complex care needs. There was 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

When we last inspected the service on 26 April 2013 we found them to be meeting the required standards.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are put in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and

where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way, usually to protect themselves or others. At the time of the inspection applications had been made to

the local authority in relation to people who lived at the service and were awaiting assessment. Staff we spoke with were aware of their role in relation to MCA and DoLS and how people were at risk of being deprived of their liberty.

People told us they felt safe at the home. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable about keeping people safe and reporting any concerns they may have.

We saw there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs, however some people experienced a delay in receiving assistance promptly

Risk assessments were in place for people and were appropriate to their needs.

People’s medicines were not always managed safely as staff had not always ensured an accurate record was maintained for people who had their medicines covertly administered.

Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the provider.

People told us that they were asked for their consent and their choices were respected.

People we spoke with gave mixed views about the food at Forest Care Village.

People who used the service, their relatives and professionals were positive about the care staff provided to people.

People felt able to approach staff and the unit manager with any concerns they had and were confident they would be dealt with appropriately.

An accurate, complete and contemporaneous record in respect of each service user, including a record of the care and treatment provided to the service user and of decisions taken in relation to the care and treatment had not been maintained consistently.

The staff and management at Forest Care Village had good working relationship with other organisations and health agencies.

26 April 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

We visited the home on three occasions and we spoke to people who lived in all the different parts of the home. We were told that the home had improved and that the staff had a better understanding of the English language and therefore communications were easier. People told us that staff appeared to be trained to carry out their care. The staff we spoke with told us that generally they felt that they were well managed and leadership was provided by the home's manager. However some staff told us that one of the unit managers did not offer support and guidance and that on many occasions when they sought assistance the unit manager's door was closed with a 'do not disturb' sign on it. Staff told us that they found this very difficult and often had to get support from other unit managers. They said that this caused a delay in caring for the person.

We looked at how people were cared for and we found that care plans were up to date and gave staff good instructions on how to care for people. Medicines were stored, administered and recorded as prescribed. The management of the home had systems in place that ensured all aspects of the service and care offered to people were regularly audited and action plans drawn and implemented to address any anomalies found.

People we spoke with told us they were satisfied with the way the service managed their medicines.

12, 13, 14 February 2013

During a routine inspection

The majority of people we spoke with were positive about the service that they had been provided with and said they had good relationships with the staff who supported them. People described Forest Care Village as their home. One person said' 'I'm happy here'. A relative told us the 'Carers are really good'. People told us that they liked the activities taking place as there was always something going on. People said that they had been consulted about their care needs. Two people said that their relatives had experienced inconsistent care when staff had not followed the care plan that was in place.

People were positive about the choice of meals available.

We identified concerns regarding the cleanliness of some areas of the service.

People we spoke with said they were happy with the way the service managed their medicines but we identified concerns regarding the recording of medicines.

We identified that people were being supported by a permanent team of staff with the training, skills and experience to meet their needs.

Not everyone we spoke with or contacted us between our inspections felt that their concerns had been listened to. We found that people's concerns had not always been recorded within the provider's complaint monitoring systems.

We identified that the provider's quality monitoring systems had not been robust enough to identify the issues we raised at this inspection in relation to cleanliness, medication and staff supervision.

24 September 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During this inspection a team of inspectors visited Forest Care Village Elstree and Borehamwood on 20, 21 and 24 September 2012. We were accompanied by two 'experts by experience', a specialist advisor in Acquired Brain Injury, a specialist advisor in Mental Health, and a pharmacy inspector from CQC.

We spoke with more that 35 people who lived at the home and their relatives, and we carried out a period of close observation, watching the care of the people in this home who had a dementia or memory loss and were unable to communicate with us.

We observed that people looked clean and well cared for, and interactions between staff and the people they supported were relaxed and respectful. We found that care was administered in a manner that promoted people's dignity, choice and independence

People that we spoke with during this three day inspection told us that they were involved in the planning of their care, and were treated well by staff. People made references to being given choices and consulted about different aspects of life in this home. They spoke about the improvements they had seen over the past few weeks in the home, and we received many positive comments such as. 'I really like this place it is my home now. I like the staff, they are really helpful and I have lots of friends here.' And 'I like everything about it, this place saved my life.'

31 July 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our visits to Forest Care Village on 30 July 2012 and 01 August 2012 we found that people looked clean and comfortable and interactions from staff were professional. We spoke with 20 people and/ or their relatives during this inspection, and received mixed comments about the care they received.

One person told us that staff were 'very pleasant and knowledgeable' and that they were sensitive and gentle when attending to their personal care or assisting them to move. Their relative added that they the service was being proactive in supporting continued physiotherapy sessions and said that staff were always available and willing to assist with their relatives walking. Another person told us 'Everything is lovely' and that their main concern was about what had been said and written about their home in the press.

However this was not consistent throughout the home, and some people told us that they were not happy with some of the changes that had been made, particularly the change to staff allocation. They felt that they no longer knew the staff, staff were not familiar with their care requirements and that this made it more difficult to talk to them. One person felt that their cultural care needs had not been fully addressed and that there was a lack of flexibility in their care delivery.

People told us that they had seen some improvements, and the management team were more visible and accessible in the home, however they were not confident their comments were always listened to, as poor practices they had reported in some areas of the home had continued.

25 May 2012

During an inspection looking at part of the service

When we visited Forest Care Village on the 17, 18, 21 and 25 May 2012, we spent time on all of the units in the home, and spoke with many of people who used the service. As some people were unable to communicate with us, we also used a number of different methods including observations, and talking with people's relatives, to help us understand the experiences of people using the service.

We found that there was some variation in people's views about the way that care and support was provided in the home. Some of the more able and articulate people felt able to influence the way care was provided to them, however this was not the case for everyone in the home. Some people felt that the level and quality of the care they received was dependent on the number of and the skills of the staff on duty at any one time. Some people commented that not all staff knew how to care for their specific needs, and that they continually had to guide these staff and tell them what was needed and how to do certain things. One person said 'they recruit for quantity not quality'.

People had differing views and perspectives on their personal safety in the home. Some people stated that they felt safe and could stand up for themselves to ensure that they received the care they required. One person told us that living in the home had saved their life, however others said they were not always happy with the way in which they were cared for by staff. Some people told us that they often saw staff completely ignore people's buzzers or calls for help, and that they felt that they needed to advocate on behalf of the less able people around them

Many people told us that when they talked to managers about any concerns that they were not listened to and that little changed. They told us that although they were sometimes asked for their opinions about things, they did not feel that they were listened to, or that their opinions were taken into account by the home's senior management.

11, 24 October 2011

During a routine inspection

The people who we spoke with during our visits to the home on 11 and 21 October 2011 gave us mixed views about their lives in the home. One person said, 'I love it here. I have been to a lot of homes, and this is the best.' They told us that the staff were great and the manager was brilliant. They said that their room had been decorated to their taste. Other people said that there were more activities than before, and that they were supported to take up their own interests, for example learning a musical instrument.

However most of the people who we spoke with and observed said that they were not happy in the home. One person said, 'Nobody has time to spend with you.' Another person said that they did not feel safe in the home, and that nothing had been done following a physical attack on them. People felt that their views were not listened to. One person said, 'The manager pretends to listen, but it's in one ear and out the other.' Another person said, 'I am sick and tired of trying to get the manager to listen to me. I have had enough.' And another person said that they hated it there, but it was pointless to speak to us, the inspectors, as nothing would change.

The relatives of two people who live in the home contacted us to give us their views about the care that the home provided. They were both concerned that a shortage of staff, and especially of nursing staff, affected the care that their relatives received. One person said, 'The staff do their best, but they don't even see a care plan.' This person visited the home every day to assist their relative with personal care, because they felt that the staff were not able to provide this care. The other relative also said that staff did not read the care plans and they did not understand the person's care needs. They told us that there were too many different staff, and their relative didn't know the staff who were caring for them. When they raised their concerns with the manager, the response was, 'It's a large home.'