• Care Home
  • Care home

Fosse House

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Ermine Close, St Albans, Hertfordshire, AL3 4LA (01727) 819700

Provided and run by:
Quantum Care Limited

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 22 February 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 30 December 2021 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection. We reviewed further documentation and the action plan compiled by the provider in response to our findings on 11 January 2022.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 22 February 2022

The inspection took place on 24 July 2018 and was unannounced.

Fosse House 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

Fosse House is a care home without nursing registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 81 older people. At the time of this inspection 76 people were accommodated at Fosse House.

The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

When we last inspected the service in June 2016 the service was rated as Good. At this inspection we found that standards had been maintained and in one area further improvements had been made to provide outstanding experiences for people who lived at Fosse House. The staff team had worked tirelessly to provide people with excellent opportunities to enjoy personalised activities and outings as well as experience new things that they had only ever dreamt of previously. The registered manager and staff team demonstrated a 'can do' attitude to ensuring people enjoyed opportunities for engagement and stimulation. The provider had arrangements to receive feedback from people who used the service, their relatives, external stakeholders and staff members about the services provided. People were confident to raise anything that concerned them with staff or management and were satisfied that they would be listened to.

People felt safe living at Fosse House. Staff understood how to keep people safe and risks to people's safety and well-being were identified and managed. The home was calm and people's needs were met in a timely manner by sufficient numbers of skilled and experienced staff. The provider operated robust recruitment processes which helped to ensure that staff employed to provide care and support for people were fit to do so. People's medicines were managed safely.

Staff received regular one to one supervision from a member of the management team which made them feel supported and valued. People received the support they needed to eat and drink sufficient quantities and their health needs were well catered for with appropriate referrals made to external health professionals when needed.

People and their relatives complimented the staff team for being kind and caring. Staff were knowledgeable about individuals' care and support needs and preferences and people had been involved in the planning of their care where they were able. Visitors to the home were encouraged at any time of the day.

There was an open and respectful culture in the home and people, their relatives and the staff team were comfortable to speak with the registered manager if they had a concern. The provider had arrangements to regularly monitor health and safety and the quality of the care and support provided for people who used the service.