The Conifers Rest Home

Updated 26 March 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place. As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

This inspection took place on 5 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 26 March 2021

About the service:

The Conifers Rest Home is a residential care home that provides personal care for up to 18 people aged 65 and over. There were 18 people living in the home at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

People and relatives were exceptionally positive about the staff and the management team. People told us the service was like a family home, staff were longstanding and knew people extremely well. Staff told us that it was a very happy team and they all worked well together. People told us staff were very caring and compassionate. There was a very friendly atmosphere, and everyone appeared to know each other well, including relatives, staff and people living there. The registered manager was very visible and very person centred. People and their relatives could not speak highly enough of the example she set and caring values she promoted across all staff. Staff were very knowledgeable about people’s needs and supported people to remain as independent as possible.

People received safe care and staff were aware of their responsibilities to keep people safe. Risk assessments to reflect people’s changing needs, were well managed. Staff received effective training and there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs. The management team took a creative approach to ensuring staffing was safe and the needs of people and staff were both supported very well. Staff were very proud to work at the service and external healthcare professionals said it was an exceptional team that delivered an excellent service.

People received extremely good care that effectively met their needs. People were well supported to eat and drink and dietary needs were well managed.

The registered manager had implemented technology to provide good monitoring of people’s healthcare needs, involving people in decisions about their health and care.

There was a strong person-centred culture throughout the service and staff were skilled at providing compassionate and caring support for people. People’s dignity was managed with thoughtfulness. Care was individualized with people’s choices and preferences respected. Information was provided in formats that were accessible to people. Complaints and concerns were comprehensively recorded and fully investigated with lessons learned and action taken appropriately.

The service was very well led. There was a strong emphasis on person centred care with support for people and their relatives to make decisions about their care. People’s identity and needs were at the forefront of care planning to ensure their wishes were known. Staff felt well supported by the registered manager, who was open to change and had implemented excellent technology to assist people’s wellbeing and care. Systems were in place to monitor accidents and incidents to identify any lessons learned and make improvements where required.

Safe recruitment was followed to ensure the staff employed were suitable to care for people and shared the values of the service. People received their medicine as prescribed and this was administered by staff who were competent. The provider was following relevant guidance for infection control. The environment was clean and well maintained.

The service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA). People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. Policies and systems were in place to support this practice.

There was a registered manger in post who was available throughout the inspection. 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.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was last inspected on 10 November 2016 and was rated good, with outstanding in caring.

Why we inspected:

The inspection took place on 26 March 2019 and was an unannounced, planed, comprehensive inspection.

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