Background to this inspection
Updated
6 October 2021
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.
As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Service and service type
The Koppers 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 reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection, this included notifications made by the service. 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.
Prior to the inspection, as part of our monitoring approach, we asked the registered manager to send us the results of any recent surveys or recent feedback from relatives. We also asked that they request people’s and relatives’ views about the service. We were contacted via our online process by two relatives and received a letter from a person using the service to tell us about the care they were receiving at the Kopper’s.
We asked local healthcare professionals for their views about the service and received a response from two of them.
We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We met people who lived at the home and spoke with four of them about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, the director, a team leader, care workers, the cook and housekeeper.
As most people were living with dementia, 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 observed people and staff in the main communal area during the morning and at lunch time.
We reviewed a range of records. This included one person’s care records on the provider’s computerised care system and medication records. We looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, staff training matrix and the provider’s quality monitoring records and a recruitment folder.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.
Updated
6 October 2021
About the service
The Koppers is registered to provide accommodation with nursing or personal care, for up to 25 people with dementia. There were 19 people using the service at the time of our inspection. The home is a detached property situated in the centre of the village of Kilmington.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People felt safe living at the service. Staff had received safeguarding training and demonstrated an understanding and awareness of the different types of abuse.
Recruitment procedures ensured that people were supported by staff with the appropriate experience and character. The provider always ensured they had skilled, experienced staff on duty to support people’s needs. Staff had received in-depth training when they started working at the home and received refresher training and competency assessments. Staff were supported in their roles by receiving regular supervisions and an annual appraisal.
People were supported by kind, considerate and caring staff. They were treated with dignity, their privacy was respected, and their independence promoted.
People’s changing needs were monitored and were responded to promptly and the involvement of health professionals sought, and their advice followed.
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. Families and professional were involved in best interest decisions and staff knew the legal powers family and relatives might have to support people in making decisions.
People’s medicines were safely managed, and their nutritional needs were identified and monitored. People enjoyed the meals provided.
Environmental risks had been assessed and the provider had a clear oversight of the potential risks at the home. Fire safety was well managed. The provider had an ongoing program of refurbishment at the home.
Staff wore Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in line with current guidance and promoted good Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice. Staff helped people keep in touch with their friends and relatives throughout the pandemic, which helped alleviate their worries. Visiting had resumed with the appropriate testing and safeguards in place to prevent cross infection.
Systems and processes to monitor the service had improved and drove improvements.
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 (report published September 2019). 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
We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service in June 2019. Four breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve person centred care, governance, fit and proper persons employed and staffing.
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions, Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led which contain those requirements.
The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from Requires Improvement to Good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Kopper’s on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
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.