Mercia Grange

Mercia Grange is a care home providing personal care and accommodation to up to 67 people. The service provides support to older people and people with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 56 people using the service.

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

The provider had safeguarding systems and processes to help keep people safe. Staff knew about the risks to people and followed the assessments to ensure they met people's needs. People felt safe and were supported by staff who knew how to protect them from avoidable harm.

People were supported to access healthcare professionals when their needs changed. Staff received training and competencies to ensure they were skilled to meet people’s needs. People were offered a choice of food and the environment was warm and welcoming.

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 mainly supported this practice.

Staff sought people's consent before providing care and support. People's individual communication needs were considered to support them to be involved in their care.

Staff had been recruited appropriately and had received relevant training, so they were able to support people with their individual care and support needs.

Different activities were available for people to get involved with. Care plans contained information about people’s preferences and staff knew people well.

Complaints were responded to in a timely way and information about the support people wanted to receive at the end of their life was recorded.

Systems in place to assess and monitor the quality and safety of the service required improvement. Audits undertaken in relation to accident and incidents required improvement to ensure the appropriate action had been completed. Audits were completed on care and medicines records however prompt action taken was not always taken where inconsistencies were identified.

Staff spoke positively about working for the provider and felt well supported. Staff were able to approach the management team at any time, feeling confident any concerns would be acted on promptly. They felt valued and happy in their role.

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 the service was outstanding (published on 04 April 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine the information we had reviewed. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of Safe, Effective and Well Led.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has changed to good. This is based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Mercia Grange on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

People’s experience of using this service: People and relatives provided consistently positive feedback about the care, staff and management. They provided examples of the high level of care delivered and the positive changes that resulted in people’s lives.

Staff were highly committed to ensuring people lived fulfilling lives and were protected from social isolation. The whole focus of people's care was individualised and focused on promoting people's independence as well as their physical and mental well-being. People were empowered to make their own choices and staff demonstrated a 'can do' approach which meant they were able to achieve very positive outcomes for people.

People received leisure and wellness service's which catered to individual interests and abilities. There was a comprehensive and varied menu of activities to choose from and people benefited from the development of closer links to their local community which included intergenerational events.

The service was inclusive and innovative in the way it recruited staff by engaging some people using the service to take part in the process.

The service valued and respected people’s views and opinions. Without exception people and families told us living at Mercia Grange had been the right decision and that their quality of life had been enhanced.

The management team embraced continuous learning, research and best practice, new ways of working and excellence in care techniques and practices.

People were protected by a strong, comprehensive safety system, with a focus on openness, transparency and learning. The provider had systems in place to make sure the service was safe, with very good staffing levels and well skilled staff to deliver care.

People were empowered to take positive risks, to ensure they had greater choice and control of their lives. The positive risk-taking approach demonstrated by the service showed that they respected people's right for independence, their right to self -determination and their right to take risks.

Staff were extremely patient and friendly, and people's privacy and dignity were respected. They showed they valued people as individuals and had formed supportive relationships with people. Staff knew how people preferred their care and support to be provided.

People had access to a varied menu and meals were served in dining areas as well as people having choice where to take their meals. In addition, there was a café area at the entrance available to people using the service, families and visitors. People told us the food was very good and there was plenty of choice. Meals were seen to be appetising and served in a calm and organised manner.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection since registration in May 2018.

Why we inspected: We inspected this service as part of the scheduled programme.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

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