The Fernes

Updated 28 April 2020

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

Two inspectors conducted the inspection.

Service and service type

The Fernes is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people who used the service and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We were not always able to communicate with people, so we spent time observing the interactions between people and staff, in public areas of the home, in order to help us understand people's experiences. We spoke with 12 members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, senior care workers, care workers, a cook, activity coordinators and housekeeping staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality assurance documents were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 28 April 2020

About the service

The Fernes is a care home providing personal care for 50 older people at the time of the inspection. The home is situated in Fareham and accommodation was provided over three floors. The middle floor was called Memory Lane where support was provided for people who lived with dementia. General residential care was provided on the top and ground floors. The service can support up to 52 people.

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

People were supported by exceptionally kind, caring and compassionate staff who consistently promoted people’s dignity, privacy and independence. Strong caring values ran through the home. These placed people at the centre of their care and created a warm and friendly family like environment. People and their relatives felt at home in the service. Staff often went the extra mile to ensure people enjoyed a good quality of life.

People felt safe at the Fernes. Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place and staff were confident in the actions to take if abuse were suspected. There were enough staff deployed to meet the needs of people. Staff knew how to promote people's safety and mitigate risks to people's health and welfare. Medicines were administered safely by staff.

Considerable thought had been taken to ensure people lived in a home that met their needs. People, relatives and staff were highly complimentary of the environment. The home was clean and good infection control processes were in place.

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 received personalised care that met their needs and preferences. People had access to a wide range of activities that met their individual needs.

Staff were supported in their roles and had received training, so they were able to support people effectively. Staff enjoyed their work and told us they felt valued. Professionals told us the home worked well with them to ensure good outcomes for people.

People and their relatives knew how to raise concerns. They had confidence in the registered manager and numerous complimentary comments were given about the running of the service. A quality assurance system was in place to continually assess, monitor and improve the service. People, relatives, professionals and staff told us they would recommend the home to others.

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 2 August 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

There is no required follow up to this inspection, however we will continue to monitor the service through information we receive.