Archived: Comberton Nursing Home

Comberton Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 32 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 36 people.

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

People were supported by staff who knew how to identify, and report concerns of abuse. Risks to people’s safety were managed well and there were sufficient numbers of staff to support people. Medicines were given in a safe way and there were effective infection control practices in place.

People were supported by staff who had received training relevant to their role. People’s dietary needs were met, and people also had access to healthcare services where required. 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.

People felt staff were kind and caring. Staff were seen to treat people with dignity, provide choices and promote people’s independence.

Staff understood people’s likes, dislikes and preferences with regards to their care. People’s end of life wishes had also been explored. People gave mixed feedback in relation to activities, but staff were seen to spend meaningful time with people. Complaints made were investigated and resolved.

Records kept for people who were receiving short term care lacked detail and had not consistently been updated where people’s needs changed. There were audits in place to monitor the quality of the service. People were given opportunity to feedback on the quality of the service and told us the service was well led.

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 25 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Comberton Nursing Home provides accommodation for up to 36 people who require residential and nursing care. There were 29 people living at the home when we visited.

The home had a registered manager, who was present during the visit to the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.

People were protected from the risks of harm or abuse and staff had been trained to recognise and report concerns. Risks to people's safety had been identified and staff monitored these closely. The arrangements for the management of people’s medicines were safe. Staffing levels were reviewed to ensure there were enough staff available to meet people's needs. However we saw periods where there were no staff present in communal areas to help people. Recruitment procedures were followed to ensure checks were carried out on the suitability of new staff.

Staff had a planned induction to prepare them for their role and training and support to ensure they understood and met people's needs effectively. Staff understood the importance of seeking people’s consent to care and how to support people whose liberty was restricted. Training in the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), was planned to support staff understanding. People enjoyed their meals and were supported eat and drink enough. People had access to health care professionals to promote their health and well-being.

The majority of people who lived at the home described the staff as being nice and kind. However some people told us a caring approach was not consistent. Some people experienced delays in accessing the toilet which could compromise their dignity.

People felt that staff knew their preferences and routines for how and when their care was provided. Activity provision was reduced but the registered manager had recruited to this post to enhance opportunities for people. Complaints were managed appropriately.

The quality of care was monitored. Audits and action plans had been effective in identifying improvements and these had been made.