Updated 16 December 2022
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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.
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 undertaken by one inspector.
Service and service type
The Firs Residential Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. The Firs Residential Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We visited the service on 17 October 2022. We spoke with six people who used the service and the relatives of three people. We observed the interactions between staff and people using the service, for example at lunch and evening meal and when medicines were being provided to people. We spoke with seven staff members, including the registered manager, deputy manager, regional support manager, team leaders and care staff. We reviewed records including four people’s care records, medicines records, three staff member’s recruitment files and records relating to health and safety and governance. The registered manager, regional support manager and the district manager sent us records, which we reviewed remotely.
Following our visit, we spoke with the district manager on the telephone. We reviewed one person’s care records, investigation report, audits, tools used to assess the required staffing levels, improvement plan and incidents log. We received electronic feedback from four relatives of people using the service. We also received feedback from health and social care professionals.
We fed back our findings of the inspection to the registered manager, deputy manager, regional support manager and district manager on 6 December 2022.