We carried out a review of the data available to us about Greenacres Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Greenacres Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Greenacres Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to 39 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service is registered to support up to 41 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The home provided people with a safe, well-maintained and clean environment to live in. People were protected from the risk of harm and abuse and the home ensured that only suitable staff were employed to work at the home. People were supported to take their medicines safely and as prescribed.
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’s needs were appropriately assessed and met by staff who had the required skills, training and support.
People were well-supported with their nutrition and hydration needs and the feedback about the food at the home was positive. One relative said, “The food is good and they know what [Relative] likes. [Relative] has put on weight since coming here and looks much better.” The atmosphere and appearance of the home was homely and people looked comfortable and relaxed in their surroundings.
All the people and relatives we spoke with gave us positive feedback about the staff at the home. One person told us, “The staff are like a family to me.” Staff knew the people they were supporting well and we observed many warm, friendly and caring interactions between staff and the people living at the home throughout our inspection.
The care plans we looked at were informative, regularly reviewed and reflected the needs of the people supported by the service. This included considering and meeting any communication, spiritual and cultural needs. The home had not received any formal complaints since our last inspection but people told us they would feel comfortable raising concerns if necessary and we saw information about making a complaint was accessible.
There was a good range of activities on offer to people living at the home, both on a group and individual basis. People were also supported to keep up with their religious preferences.
There was a kind and caring culture amongst staff at the home, which was led by an experienced registered manager. All the people and relatives we spoke with were familiar with the registered manager; they felt they could approach them with any concerns and any issues would be addressed.
There were various systems in place to gather people’s feedback about the quality of service being provided. All of which we reviewed was positive. One person wrote, ‘I think it’s smashing and I enjoy being here.’ Staff at the home engaged well with other health and social care professionals to ensure people’s health and wellbeing was maintained.
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 7 December 2016).
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.
The home is required to have a registered manager. 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. The home had a registered manager who had been in post for a number of years.
During our visit we saw that there were enough staff to support people and meet their needs. People we spoke with considered there were enough staff and they described the staff as kind and caring. We observed positive and respectful interactions between staff and people who lived at the home.
Robust employment procedures had been followed when new staff were recruited. Staff received regular training and supervision and most staff had a national vocational qualification.
The home was clean and well maintained. Medicines were stored and managed safely and records showed that people received their medication as prescribed by their doctor.
Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) had been applied for with respect to some people living at the home. We saw evidence that people's capacity to make decisions was assessed before they moved into the home, however we did not see a system in place to keep this under review in order to identify any changes in people's mental capacity.
We found that the lunchtime experience was busy and poorly organised. People had a choice of meals, however the menus we looked at did not offer healthy choices and lacked variety.
People's needs were assessed before they moved into the home and referrals were made to medical professionals as needed. Care plans recorded the care and support people received and were reviewed monthly.
People who lived at the home had choices in daily living. Some people chose to spend their time in their own bedroom while other people enjoyed participating in the social activities provided.
People spoke highly of the home manager and the staff members we spoke with considered that they were well supported and worked well together as a team.
There was a good standard of record keeping across the service.
The provider had an effective recruitment process which ensured people using services were cared for by staff who had appropriate skills, experience and qualifications. We observed staff rotas which confirmed people were always cared for by appropriate numbers of staff members. Although the complaints policy was not observed displayed around the care home, the provider, staff members and people using services were aware of the process which they explained to us. From what we were told and observed we are confident a robust complaints process is in place at Greenacres Care Home.
People who lived at the home told us they were involved in planning and reviewing their care and said they felt confident they would be listened to. Up to date care plans were in place. People were cared for in ways that met their needs. A relative said, 'I was very impressed when I read in the care plan that the staff were aware of my relative's disorientation. I felt reassured that they understood his needs.'
A community matron said, 'I have been coming here for two years and I have never had any concerns. I give care directions to the staff and they follow them properly.'
Staff told us they were trained to do their job properly and said they felt supported by their manager.
There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service.
The home was clean and comfortable throughout.