The Old Rectory

Updated 8 March 2019

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 23 January 2019 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and one expert-by-experience.

An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service, including previous inspection reports and notifications sent to us by the provider. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us. We also looked at information in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection we spoke with ten people and one visitor. We also spoke with seven members of staff, including care staff, housekeeping staff, a cook and the registered manager. We reviewed three people's care plans and three staff files. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service such as incident and accident records, meeting minutes, recruitment and training records, policies, audits and complaints.

Updated 8 March 2019

The Old Rectory 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.

The home is registered to provide personal care to 29 older people with a physical and/or sensory disability. People are accommodated in the main house and a separate annexe next door to the main house. People living in the separate annexe, known as 'the cottage' were living more independently than those in the main house.

At the time of the inspection 27 people were living at the service. The inspection took place on 23 January 2019 and was unannounced.

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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At our last inspection we rated the service Good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of Good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe from harm. Care plans contained risk assessments and guidance for staff on how to keep people safe.

There was enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs.

Medicines were managed safely. Some changes were required, which the registered manager was in the process of doing.

Staff were trained and supported in their roles.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink.

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.

We saw and heard positive, caring interactions between people and staff. People spoke highly of the staff and staff told us they enjoyed their roles.

Regular feedback was sought from people and their relatives.

People received care that were responsive to their needs and preferences

There was a positive caring culture and the provider’s values were embedded in the service. People and their relatives all spoke highly of the registered manager.

There were quality assurance processes in place and an ongoing quality improvement plan; all of which were being reviewed and updated.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.