Autumn Vale Care Centre

Updated 14 August 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 inspection was carried out by one inspector 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 service.

Service and service type:

Autumn Vale Care Centre 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. A registered manager 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 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.

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine people who used the service and 10 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with the senior regional manager, quality manager and the registered manager, deputy manager and six members of staff. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service such as audits, assessment tools and service development plans including policies and procedures.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found, which was provided to us.

Updated 14 August 2019

About the service

Autumn Vale Care Centre is a purpose-built residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 61 older people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 69 people. The home is split across four units providing care for people living with dementia, nursing needs and short stay care.

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

People felt safe with the care provided. One person said, “Here is so different, I feel safe because I don't have any worries. For the first time I feel that I don't have to worry about anything.” Staff knew how to keep people safe, and how to report concerns. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Risks to people’s safety and welfare were identified and responded to promptly to keep people safe from harm. People’s medicines were well managed, and they received them as prescribed. People lived in a clean environment that was well maintained.

Staff felt supported in their role, and further development of staff roles was being implemented. People enjoyed the meals provided to them and staff monitored people’s weight and fluid intake. The environment was pleasant with plenty of communal space for people to enjoy including garden areas. Items of interest were placed around the service which supported people living with dementia.

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 involved in planning their care and they, along with their relatives felt listened to.

People felt that care was delivered in a way that met their needs and preferences. People enjoyed the activities on offer and there were systems in place to help prevent people becoming isolated. People felt able to approach the management team if they had a concern and were assured this would be acted upon. Complaints were well managed, and feedback was sought through meetings and surveys.

Feedback about the registered manager and management team was positive. The registered manager had developed a culture in the home based upon an open and caring environment. Quality assurance systems were effective in ensuring the home was running how it should and people received a good service.

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 requires improvement (published on 24 July 2018). We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection. At this inspection the service has improved its rating to Good in all KLOES.

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.