Background to this inspection
Updated
1 May 2021
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.
Service and service type
Bannow Retirement Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
We gave a short period of notice of the inspection. This was to establish the safest and most appropriate way of carrying out our inspection visit during the Covid-19 pandemic.
What we did before the inspection
The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with three people and three members of staff including the registered manager, the deputy manager and a care worker. We reviewed records that included care plans, risk assessments and medicine administration records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures and quality assurance systems.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at policies and procedures relating to the management of Covid-19.
Updated
1 May 2021
About the service
Bannow Retirement Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 25 people at the time of the inspection. Bannow Retirement Home is registered to provide care and support for up to 26 older people. The care needs of people varied, some people were living with dementia while others required support with mobility and behaviours that challenge.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and their relatives told us they were happy with the service they received. They described the care workers as kind and caring.
Systems for monitoring quality and managing risks continued to be effective. People told us they were happy with the care they received, and that staff helped them to feel safe. Risk assessments and care plans guided staff in how to provide care safely and in the way the person preferred. There were enough suitable staff employed to ensure people were safe.
Appropriate infection control procedures for the Covid-19 pandemic were in place to keep people safe. Staff had received additional training and used appropriate Personal Protective Equipment.
People, their relatives and staff told us that communication was good and that staff listened to them and involved them in their care. Staff and professionals were complimentary about the registered managers person centred approach and responsiveness to people’s changing needs. One staff member said, “(The registered manager) has good leadership skills and loves to get things done.”
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.
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 21 November 2019)
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of a specific incident, following which a person using the service died. This incident was not subject to a criminal investigation. The information CQC received about the incident indicated concerns about the management of falls, medicines management and policies and procedures around seeking medical support. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only. This inspection examined those risks.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. The provider had taken action to mitigate the risks and these had been effective. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this report.
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.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Bannow Retirement Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.