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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: This inspection was completed by one inspector and an assistant inspector.

Service and service type:

Canal Vue is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager who was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission. However, in the absence of their registration, the provider is legally responsible for how the service is run.

Notice of inspection: This inspection was unannounced

What we did:

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection, to support the planning of this inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse. We sought feedback from the local authority, clinical commissioning group (CCG) and other professionals who work with the service. We also gave the provider the opportunity to discuss any improvements or developments with us throughout the inspection.

We used a range of different methods to help us understand people’s experiences. During the inspection we spoke with three people and two relatives to ask about their experience of the care provided. Some people were unable to tell us their experience of their life in the home, so we observed how the staff interacted with people in communal areas.

We spoke with three members of care staff, two members of the domestic team, the cook, the administrator and the operational manager. During the inspection we spoke with one visiting professional from health care.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care and medicine records. We also reviewed the process used for staff recruitment, various records in relation to training and supervision, records relating to the management of the home, and a number of policies and procedures developed and implemented by the provider.