Heatherdale Residential Home

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm.

At our last inspection, we rated this key question good. At this inspection, the rating has remained good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm.

This service scored 72 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice.

Accidents and incidents were monitored to help identify any themes or trends. A new hydration system had been introduced. The registered manager provided data to evidence how increasing people’s fluids had reduced the number of urinary tract infections.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services.

Preadmission assessments were carried out before people moved into the home to make sure staff could meet their needs. A relative told us, “He had an initial assessment. They asked him some questions and validated them later with the family."

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect.

The local authority safeguarding team told us there were no ongoing safeguarding concerns.

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. Positive risk taking was encouraged. A relative told us, “I do my [relative’s] shower and hair - it's nice for me and [relative].” Another relative said, “They make sure they support his autonomy, he takes a long time to do things like going up and down the stairs. We negotiated that risk, [relative] and I accepted that risk so he can go home.”

We did not observe any unsafe practices during our visits to the home.

The provider detected and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care.

The home was being redecorated. The registered manager explained how colour was being used to help enhance people’s experience, engagement and orientation of the environment. They also told us they were reviewing whether people’s access to the stairs should be restricted through the use of keypads. Risk assessments were in place and the registered manager said no one was currently at risk of accessing the stairs.

People and relatives spoke positively about the environment. A relative said, “He is aware of his surroundings, he is comfortable and he knows the building. The way the staff care for him - the routine and environment are right for him.” A health and social care professional told us, “The rooms that I have been in recently do have a lot of personal effects in, which is nice to make the space familiar for that person.”

Checks and tests were carried out on equipment and the home’s utilities such as water and electricity to make sure they were safe.

There were sufficient staff deployed at the time of our inspection to meet people’s needs.

We received mixed feedback from people, relatives and staff about whether there were enough staff. The registered manager told us, “Staffing levels are based on the dependency of our residents, this is monitored weekly to ensure adequate staffing levels.”

During our visits to the home, we saw staff supported people in a calm unhurried manner. Non-care staff knew people’s needs and had completed relevant training and supported care staff when required. There was a stable staff team and many of the staff had worked at the home for a number of years.

Staff were supported to undertake training to meet the needs of people who lived at the home. A relative said, “Yes, they have the knowledge and training, they know what they are doing. They have staff training days.” A health and social care professional told us, “I find Heatherdale management to be very keen on in house training offered by us.”

Several people had a urinary catheter. The registered manager explained that district nursing staff had provided training to some staff in relation to catheter care. We discussed about ensuring staff who supported people with catheter care, completed this training and records were available to evidence this.

Recruitment checks were carried out before staff started work at the home to help ensure prospective staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of it spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly.

Relatives spoke positively about the cleanliness of the environment. A relative said, “It is clean and well maintained. There are cleaning staff who clear up spills and accidents, there are no grumbles, they just get on with it.”

A local NHS infection control practitioner told us they had received no concerns about infection control practices at the home. They said their team had delivered 2 IPC training sessions this year. They also explained there had been no infectious outbreaks since June 2024.

Records did not always demonstrate that medicines were administered as prescribed. Immediate action was taken to address the issues. We did not identify any impact upon people’s health and wellbeing in relation to our observations of medicines records. We discussed with the registered manager about ensuring medicines records were kept under review to ensure best practice guidance was followed.