Shrublands

Shrublands is a residential home providing accommodation for up to 9 people who require nursing or personal care. On the day of our inspection 8 people were living at the home.

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

People living at Shrublands received safe care from skilled and knowledgeable staff. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. People lived in a safe, homely environment where staff were able to interact with them throughout the day.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs.

Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed. The provider had installed an electronic system to manage medicines and care plans which enabled medicines to be managed safely.

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.

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.

The home was well-led by a registered manager who was committed to improving people's quality of life. We received positive feedback about the management of the home from people, relatives and staff. They had effective quality assurance processes which were used to improve people’s care. The service had a clear management and staffing structure in place and staff worked well as a team. Staff worked well with external social and health care professionals.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 13 December 2017)

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.

Follow up

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

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

The Shrublands is a family owned and managed residential home that provides personal care and accommodation for up to nine older people. Some people may have varying types and degrees of dementia. On the day of our inspection nine people were living at the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good overall.

Why the service is rated Good:

People remained safe living in the home. There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs and staff had time to spend with people. Risk assessments were carried out and promoted positive risk taking which enable people to live their lives as they chose. People received their medicines safely and the registered manager had made improvements to medicines guidance since our last inspection.

People continued to receive effective care from staff who had the skills and knowledge to support them and meet their needs. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the procedures in the service supported this practice. People were supported to access health professionals when needed and staff worked closely with people's GPs to ensure their health and well-being was monitored.

The service continued to provide support in a caring way. Staff supported people with kindness and compassion. Staff respected people as individuals and treated them with dignity. People were involved in decisions about their care needs and the support they required to meet those needs.

The service continued to be responsive to people's needs and ensured people were supported in a personalised way. People's changing needs were responded to promptly. People had access to a variety of activities that met their individual needs.

The service was led by a registered manager who promoted a service that put people at the forefront of all the service did. There was a positive culture that valued people, relatives and staff and promoted a caring ethos.

The registered manager monitored the quality of the service and looked for continuous improvement. There was a clear vision to deliver high-quality care and support and promote a positive culture that was person-centred, open, inclusive and empowering which achieved good outcomes for people.

We found that people's privacy, dignity and independence were respected. One relative told us, ''I really like the fact that the home allows people to take risks. People are not kept out of the kitchen or laundry because it might be unsafe. People are supported to take part in the daily domestic activities whilst care workers keep them safe''. We observed that care workers interacted with people in a sensitive and professional manner.

People experienced care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights. One person and four relatives we spoke with all made positive comments about their experience of the home and the care delivered. Care workers were responsive to people's changing needs and care was adjusted as required.

We found that improvements had been made to the home's safeguarding protocols. A system was in place to prevent financial abuse and to identify any discrepancies quickly.

We found that people were cared for by care workers who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. Improvements had been made to the induction and supervision arrangements. One care worker we spoke with told us ''we can ask the manager at any time to book us on one of the induction sessions''.

We saw that the home had introduced new needs assessment and care planning records. People's care records were detailed and accurate. Two care workers we spoke with confirmed that there had been an improvement in the quality of care records. They both told us that records were now very clear and that ''you know exactly what you need to do to support someone in the right way''.

We also spoke with three staff members during the visit. All the staff we spoke with told us that they felt supported and enjoyed their work. Staff told us that although it could be challenging they could rely on each and the knowledge of people using the service ensured that they could support and care for people well. Staff told us that they received regular training which was relevant to their area of work which was beneficial to their professional development and care being delivered to people.