Millfield

Millfield is a purpose-built residential care home situated in the Waterhead area of Oldham. The service is registered to provide care for 37 people. At the time of our inspection there were 35 people living at the home.

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

People and relatives were complimentary about the service and were very happy with the care and support given at Millfield. There were effective safeguarding systems in place and safeguarding concerns were managed appropriately. Staff understood their responsibilities in relation to reporting safeguarding concerns. Although we received mixed comments from people and relatives there were sufficient staff to provide care and support to people promptly and attentively. Staff had been safely recruited. Medicines were generally well-managed. Some minor concerns found on inspection were dealt with promptly. The home was clean and well-maintained, and staff followed good infection control practices.

Staff supported people with their healthcare needs and worked well with external healthcare professionals. The management team supported staff well and staff had the right skills and knowledge to meet their people's needs effectively. Food was of a high quality, with plenty of choice. The home was decorated and maintained to a very high standard and provided a very pleasant environment. 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.

Staff were kind and caring, respected people's privacy and dignity and promoted their independence. The service provided a range of activities for people to take part in.

The home was well managed with effective quality assurance processes in place. The registered manager and staff promoted a positive culture in the home; people’s care was person-centred.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 6 August 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. 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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We found the following examples of good practice.

There was a screening procedure in place for any visitors to the home. This included a lateral flow COVID-19 test.

Information was displayed throughout the building to remind people to be careful about infection transmission, to wash their hands and to comply with government guidance around wearing PPE.

The building was clean and well-maintained. The risk of infection transmission was minimised through enhanced cleaning schedules.

Staff had received infection prevention and control training. There was an ample supply of PPE and we observed staff wearing it correctly. Hand sanitiser was readily available throughout the service.

People who used the service and staff were regularly tested for COVID-19 in line with current government guidance.

Staff helped people to stay in touch with family and friends through phone and video calls. Some ‘window’ visits were permitted.

The registered manager had an ‘open door’ management approach and was on hand to offer emotional support to staff. A counselling service was available for anyone who needed additional help.

Millfield is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and 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. Millfield is a purpose-built home, owned and managed by Anchor, which is England’s largest not-for-profit provider of support, care and housing for older people. It is set in a quiet location in the Waterhead area of Oldham. The service is registered to provide care for 37 people. At the time of our inspection there were 36 people living at the home.

Our last inspection of the service was in August 2014. At that inspection we rated the service good overall. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Systems remained in place to help safeguard people from abuse. Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding matters, how to identify signs of abuse and what action to take to protect people in their care. Risk assessments had been completed to show how people should be supported with everyday risks.

Recruitment checks had been carried out to ensure staff were suitable to work in a care setting with vulnerable people. At the time of our inspection there were sufficient staff to respond promptly to people’s needs.

A safe system of medicine management was in place. Medicines were stored securely and records showed that staff received training and competency assessments before they were permitted to administer medicines.

The home was well-maintained, clean and decorated to a high standard. It provided a pleasant environment for people to live in. There were effective infection control and prevention measures within the service. Checks and servicing of equipment, such as for the gas, electricity and fire-fighting equipment were up-to-date.

Staff had undergone training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to support people safely. All staff received regular supervision. This ensured the standard of their work was monitored and gave them the opportunity to raise any concerns.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Staff worked closely with health and social care professionals to ensure people were supported to maintain good health. People were supported to eat a well-balanced diet and were offered a choice and variety of good quality, home-cooked meals.

Staff interacted with people in a warm and caring way, respected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted their independence.

People's care plans contained detailed information about their preferred routines, likes and dislikes and how they wished to be supported. A range of activities were available for people to take part in.

The service had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns. We saw that complaints had been dealt with appropriately.

Although both the manager and deputy manager were new to their posts, we found they provided good leadership of the service and were committed to maintaining and improving standards. Audits and quality checks were undertaken on a regular basis and any issues or concerns addressed with appropriate actions.

Everybody who we spoke to was confident that people living at the home were treated with respect and had their dignity maintained. Some staff had been on specific training to become "dignity champions".

People's needs were assessed and a written plan of care was developed. These assessments and the care plan were periodically reviewed. People were involved in the care planning process. One person using the service told us staff "do take notice". A relative said they were confident to discuss changing needs with the staff and "I don't feel I am stepping on toes if I need to talk to them".

The home appeared to be clean' tidy and well maintained throughout. Everyone we asked said this was the normal state of the premises.

People who we asked said they thought there were enough staff on duty. The manager told us they were able to increase staffing levels if necessary. One visitor described the home as "very homely and friendly, staff are all very nice". Another visitor said the home "never seems out of control".

Everybody who used the service or their relatives who we spoke with, told us that any complaint they may have would be dealt with appropriately. One person using the service said that if anything was wrong staff "would sort it out".