Archived: The Chestnuts Care Home

The inspection was carried out by one inspector over a period of eight and a half hours. There were 29 people living at the home. They had a range of needs including mobility problems, sensory impairment and dementia. We spoke with seven who lived at the home, two relatives and seven staff members including the manager and deputy manager. We reviewed records and were shown around the home.

Is the service safe?

People were protected from the risk of harm because steps had been taken to safeguard them. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to safeguarding. Medicines were managed appropriately in the home and this protected people by ensuring medicines were administered as prescribed.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. While no applications have been submitted, proper policies and procedures were in place. Relevant staff had been trained to understand when an application should be made and how to submit one.

Is the service caring?

People were cared for by staff who were kind and attentive. One person who lived at the home told us the staff were 'Kind' and another said that 'They've got time for a chat'. One person we spoke with described the staff as 'Helpful' and 'Respectful'.

Is the service responsive?

We found that the service was responsive and addressed issues promptly. People were given opportunities to express their views and they told us that they felt they would be listened to if they made requests. We saw that actions had been taken when people had expressed preferences and made requests.

Is the service effective?

We saw that the care that was delivered reflected people's assessed needs. Specialist dietary, mobility and equipment needs had been identified in care plans where required. We saw that people's needs were met because appropriate assessments had been carried out and care was planned and delivered effectively.

Is the service well-led?

Staff we spoke with told us that the managers at the home were approachable and they felt they were supported to do their jobs. There were appropriate systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and ensure that any issues detected were dealt with in a timely manner.

We found that people did not experience care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights.

We found that people who used the service were not protected from the risk of abuse, because the provider had not taken reasonable steps to identify the possibility of abuse and prevent abuse from happening.

We found that the provider did not have an effective system in place to assess and monitor the quality of service that people received.

We found that that the provider did have an effective complaints system available. Comments and complaints were responded to appropriately.

We have reviewed evidence that demonstrates the providers compliance in this area. The provider has taken appropriate action to address the identified concerns around the safety and suitability of premises.