• Care Home
  • Care home

Riverside Place

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Plaxton Way, Ware, SG12 7FB 0808 208 4570

Provided and run by:
Aria Healthcare Group LTD

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 1 September 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Riverside Place is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Riverside Place is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service 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. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make.

We also used information gathered as part of monitoring activity that took place on 18 July 2022 to help plan the inspection and inform our judgements.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service about their experience of the care provided and received feedback from five relatives.

We spoke with nine members of staff including the regional manager from the provider organisation, registered manager, deputy manager, nurses, care staff, housekeeping staff and activities staff. We also received written feedback from seven members of staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision, and training records for the staff team.

A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits and monitoring records, meeting minutes, surveys and feedback were also reviewed.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 1 September 2022

About the service

Riverside Place is a residential home registered to provide accommodation for people who require personal and nursing care for up to a maximum of 72 people.

The service provides support to adults who require personal and nursing care and may be living with a physical disability or dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 32 people living at the service.

The service is a purpose-built building. There are four floors, with spacious bedrooms and communal facilities available to all. Each bedroom has en-suite facilities, with additional toilets and bathrooms on each floor. There are large indoor communal spaces, with enclosed balconies and a spacious garden with patio area for people to spend time outdoors.

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

The registered manager and management team had made numerous improvements within the service since our last inspection. Quality assurance systems in place were robust. The wide range of checks and audits completed ensure all areas of the service were monitored closely.

Feedback about the atmosphere, culture and management at the service was positive. There were opportunities for people, relatives and staff to provide feedback on the service. The registered manager had taken steps to improve communication with relatives. There was an open culture for sharing information and learning lessons when thing went wrong which promoted a safe environment for people and staff.

People received safe care and support. The provider had systems and processes in place to safeguard people. Staff were trained and knew how to report any concerns they may have.

Assessments were completed in response to any risks identified to people's health, safety and wellbeing. Guidance was in place for staff, so they knew the actions they needed to take to reduce potential harm. Any incident, accident or untoward event that occurred at the service was investigated by the registered manager.

There were enough members of staff to meet people’s needs. The registered manager monitored the staffing levels via observations, feedback from people and staff and by reviewing the response times to call bells. Safe recruitment procedures were followed.

Staff spoke positively about the induction process and the training provided. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and told us they were provided with opportunities to progress. Regular supervisions and team meetings were held with all staff.

Medicines were managed safely and administered as directed by the prescriber. Regular audits and checks were completed on all aspects of medicine administration.

Infection control measures were followed, and staff had access to sufficient PPE.

People had their needs assessed prior to moving to the service and were supported to express their views and make decisions about their care. Care plans were accurate and reflected people's needs. Appropriate referrals had been made, and health professionals involved, when people experienced a deterioration in their health or a change in their needs.

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 complimentary about the care they received. They told us their needs were met and staff were kind, caring and responsive. People’s privacy, dignity and independence was promoted by staff in all aspects of care.

People and their relatives felt they could speak with staff if they had any concerns and felt they would be listened to. A robust complaints procedure was available to all.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was rated requires improvement (published 07 October 2019).

At the last inspection, the service was not rated (published 01 October 2020).

The provider completed an action plan after the rated 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

The inspection was prompted, in part, due to concerns received about the provider’s approach to visiting, responding to concerns and risk of a closed culture. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine the concerns across a range of Caring Homes services.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe, responsive and well-led sections of this full report.

We also 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.

Follow up

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