Greenacres

Updated 13 November 2019

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The first day of inspection was carried out by one inspector, a specialist professional advisor and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The second day of inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Greenacres is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority, fire service, infection control and the local health service. We contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections

Updated 13 November 2019

About the service

Greenacres is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 63 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 64 people including people living with dementia. Accommodation is arranged over two floors. There are two units on each floor. Each unit has single bedrooms which have en-suite facilities. There are communal bathrooms throughout the home. Each unit has an open plan communal lounge and dining room.

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

People and their relatives told us they were safe. They were supported by staff who knew how to identify abuse. A range of risk assessments were used to manage the risks to people both in the home and in the community.

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 were supported by staff who received appropriate training and support to carry out their roles and responsibilities. We found staff to be knowledgeable about people, their medicines and how best to support them. Staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager.

People received a healthy balanced diet that met their needs. People had regular access to health care professionals; changes in needs were identified and responded to appropriately.

Staff were kind, caring and compassionate. Our observations evidenced staff interacted positively with people and knew them well. People were involved in their care planning if they wished or were able, to ensure their decisions and choices were reflected.

The service was responsive to people’s needs. People told us they knew what to do if they had any concerns or complaints about the service and said the management team were very accessible. People who used the service, staff and relatives were asked for their views about the service and these were acted on

The service was well-led. The provider and registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. Audits were of good quality and robust, ensuring they measured the quality of the service provided. This helped to ensure they were meeting required standards of care provision.

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

Rating at last inspection and update: The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 16 October 2019) and there was a breach of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

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.