Hevercourt

Updated 27 May 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 18 May 2021 and was unannounced.

Updated 27 May 2021

About the service

Hevercourt provides accommodation with personal care to older people including people living with dementia. There were 43 people using the service during our inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

We receive positive feedback about Hevercourt. A relative said, “We have been impressed by the levels of care. Our loved one’s nails and hair care is good, they are clean and kept smart. There is attention to detail by staff and a good choice of meals. Our loved one always tells us they are happy, they smile a lot. We feel they are loved, safe and cared for.” Another relative said, “We are very happy with this service, staff are wonderful, our loved one is kept clean, the food is really good, all fresh. I have noted that our loved one eats all his food, they lost weight at home, but here [at Hevercourt] they are eating three meals a day, plus lots of snacks and getting lots to drink.” A health care professional commented, “The staff look after the residents well. The staff and management are always responsive to my recommendations.” Members of staff said, “My colleagues go above and beyond at all time.” And, “This is a happy home.”

We observed staff meeting people’s needs. Relative’s told us that staff met their loved ones needs with care and compassion. Relatives told us they were involved in providing information about their loved one’s so that staff knew people’s likes, dislikes and life histories. We observed staff with kind and positive attitudes to delivering person centred care. During the inspection, we often heard staff saying kind things to people and observed that staff were friendly and attentive to people’s needs.

The service ethos was person centred and people were treated in this way. Equality, diversity and human rights were promoted through staff training, practice and the providers policies. Care assessments included sections about people’s backgrounds and lifestyles. People’s sexuality was considered as part of the care planning and assessment process. Staff worked in partnership with people, respecting people’s rights and always offering people choices about their care.

People’s needs were fully assessed and people’s right to retain independence in their day to day lives was respected. Staff understood how to safeguard people at risk and how to report any concerns they may have. The staff learnt from incidents and accidents to reduce the risk of them reoccurring. Care plans had been developed to assist staff to meet people’s needs. The care plans were consistently reviewed and updated.

Risks assessments and the ongoing maintenance of the premises and equipment minimised the risk of people being exposed to harm. The premises were adapted to people’s mobility needs to make all areas of the premises and garden accessible to people.

People, their relatives and health care professionals had the opportunity to share their views about the service. Complaints made by people or their relatives were taken seriously and thoroughly investigated.

Safe recruitment practices had been followed before staff started working at the service. Staff had supervision and personal development opportunities to learn skills in social care. Staff training was ongoing. There were systems in place for ensuring the staffing levels and staff skills balance were maintained to meet people’s needs. This included meeting people’s cultural needs.

There were policies and procedures in place for the safe administration of medicines. Staff had been trained to administer medicines safely.

People were offered a range of food choices and encouraged by staff to eat healthily. People had access to GPs and their health and wellbeing was supported by prompt referrals and access to medical care if they became unwell.

The quality and safety in the services was consistently monitored. The registered providers took an active role in the service, they often visited the service, meeting people, staff and relatives. The registered providers had a clear vision for the development of the service

End of life care was managed with compassion, taking into account people’s views.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff followed good hygiene practice to minimise the risks from the spread of infection.

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 02 November 2016). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has altered its legal entity. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection. This service was registered with us on 11 September 2018 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected:

This was a comprehensive inspection scheduled based on the published CQC inspection methodology.

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.