Archived: Pellon Care Centre

Updated 3 March 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 11 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service one day’s notice of the inspection.

Updated 3 March 2022

Pellon Care Centre is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care in two separate units, each of which have separate adapted facilities. Brackenbed unit provides nursing intermediate care for up to 33 people and has two places for people requiring long term nursing care. At the time of the inspection there were 12 people receiving intermediate care and one person receiving long term care. Pellon Manor provides personal care for up to 35 people. At the time of the inspection there were 17 people in residence on this unit. A third unit within the complex, Birkshall Mews, is closed.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Staff were not always available to meet people’s needs.

We have recommended the provider reviews staffing arrangements to make sure people’s needs are met appropriately.

People felt they, or their relatives were safe. Risks assessments were in place, but, on Pellon Manor, these were not used effectively by staff and were not always up to date. Systems were in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse. Senior managers had analysed recent events in the home and reported these appropriately. People received their medication as prescribed by staff who had been appropriately trained. Systems were followed to make sure staff were recruited safely.

Infection prevention and control (IPC) practices needed some improvement to minimise the risk of spread of infection.

Most of the people we spoke with were complimentary of the care provided. However, some gave us examples of people’s dignity needs not always being met. Our observations during our visit also identified issues in relation to maintaining people’s dignity.

There was not a manager in post at the time of the inspection. Day to day management was being shared between three senior managers. Systems were in place for audit of quality and safety within the service. However, these systems continued to lack the robust approach needed to identify issues that would affect the quality of service people received.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted through our intelligence monitoring system and to follow up on previous breaches.

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.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published April 2020). The service remains rated requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last three consecutive inspections.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvement. Please see the safe, caring and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Pellon Care Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.

At this inspection, not enough improvement had not been made and the provider was still in breach of regulation 10 (Dignity and respect) and regulation 17 (Good governance). Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report in relation to regulation 10.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Pellon Care Centre on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.