• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Generals Meadow

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

St Clare Road, Walmer, Deal, Kent, CT14 7PY (01304) 360965

Provided and run by:
Robert Michael Peacock and Elizabeth Peacock

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

9 November 2016

During a routine inspection

This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 9 November 2016.

Generals Meadow can provide accommodation and personal care for 19 older people. There were 17 people living in the service at the time of our inspection.

The service was run by Mr and Mrs Peacock. They made up a partnership and together they were the registered provider. One of the partners was also the registered manager. 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. In this report when we speak both about the partners and the registered manager we refer to them as being, ‘the registered persons’

Staff knew how to respond to any concerns that might arise so that people were kept safe from abuse. People had been helped to avoid the risk of accidents and medicines were safely managed. There were enough staff on duty and background checks had been completed before new staff were appointed.

Although new staff had not fully received all of the training recommended by a nationally recognised model, established staff had received refresher training. Staff had the knowledge and skills they needed to care for people in the right way. People had been assisted to eat and drink enough and had been supported to receive all of the healthcare assistance they needed.

The registered persons had ensured that people's rights were respected by helping them to make decisions for themselves. The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how registered persons apply the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and to report on what we find. These safeguards protect people when they are not able to make decisions for themselves and it is necessary to deprive them of their liberty in order to keep them safe. In relation to this, the registered persons had taken the necessary steps to ensure that people only received lawful care that respected their rights.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff recognised people’s right to privacy, promoted their dignity and respected confidential information.

People had been consulted about the care they wanted to receive and they had been given all of the assistance they needed. This included people who lived with dementia and who could become distressed. People had been helped to pursue their hobbies and interests and there was a system for quickly and fairly resolving complaints.

Although some quality checks were not fully recorded other evidence showed that the registered persons had regularly checked to make sure that people were reliably receiving all of the care they needed. The service was run in an open and inclusive way, good team work was promoted and staff were supported to speak out if they had any concerns. People had benefited from staff acting upon good practice guidance.

2 January 2014

During a routine inspection

There were 13 people using the service and we spent time with or spoke with some of them. Everyone we spoke with said or indicated that they were happy with the service.

One person said 'This is a very happy place. I cannot think of anything that could be better. ' Everyone we spoke with said that the staff were patient and kind. One person said 'The staff are very good. The manager is lovely.'

The home was clean, well maintained and felt very homely. People said that they were happy with their bedrooms and with the facilities. One person showed us around and showed us their room. They said their bedroom was cleaned every day and one person said 'I like my room, I can see the church. I have breakfast in my room, which I like.' People told us that the food was very good and that they always had a choice of meals. One person said 'I get plenty to eat. They come round with a list of choices to choose from. There is a sensible variety and always alternatives.'

People's health and personal care needs were supported and the service worked closely with health and social care professionals to maintain and improve people's health and well-being. People were treated with dignity and respect and the service responded to people's changing needs. People told us that they felt safe.

The service was well managed and there was always a senior member of staff on duty with the manager on call for out of hour's advice and support.

6 July 2012

During a themed inspection looking at Dignity and Nutrition

People told us what it was like to live at this home and described how they were treated by staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They also told us about the quality and choice of food and drink available. This was because this inspection was part of a themed inspection programme to assess whether older people living in care homes are treated with dignity and respect and whether their nutritional needs are met.

The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector, and who was joined by an Expert by

Experience (people who have experience of using services and who can provide that

perspective).

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who were not able to tell us their experiences.

People said that care staff respected their independence. One person told us, 'I can be as independent as I want to be'.

People told us that their privacy was respected. One person told us 'They always knock and ask me rather than taking over...... I've got a comfy room and my privacy... everything is lovely'.

People told us that the care staff treated them with dignity and respect. 'I always find the staff pleasant and obliging; no one is ever rude', one person told us.

People said that they were able to make choices about how they spent their time and what they wanted to eat. One person told us 'I get choices and good portions. I've no complaints'.

People told us that the food was of a good quality and that it met with their individual requirements. Comments from people who use the service included, 'The food is good and I get what I want'; 'The food is varied and it's the type of food I enjoy'.

Everybody said they felt safe and well cared for at Generals Meadow. They said that if they had any concerns that they felt able to share them with a member of staff. One person told us, "I would confide with staff, or if it was anything serious, Mrs Peacock (the home owner and home manager) is often around and I know I could speak to her'.

People were very positive of the support that they received from the care staff team. They said that care staff attended to their needs when they required help.

During a routine inspection

We spoke to three residents and three relatives of residents, who told us that they felt like part of the family, and that they felt included in everything that went on at the home. They also said that the staff were 'super, very friendly and approachable'. Two of the residents we spoke to came to the home on personal recommendations from previous residents. Comments from residents' questionnaires included 'I feel well cared for', and 'I love living here'.