Updated 2 July 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
The inspection was prompted in part by information shared with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). The information indicated concerns about staffing levels and the management of risk of falls. This inspection examined those risks.
Inspection team:
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors, a medicines inspector and an Expert by Experience (ExE). An ExE is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type:
Abbey House 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 registered provider is currently Hinckley Care Limited, with the location named as Abbey House. At the time of the inspection a new provider, Ridgeway Rise Care Limited, had submitted an application to register with the Care Quality Commission, to operate the location of Ridgeway Rise.
Abbey House accommodates up to 73 people in one purpose-built building. The building is divided into six units over three floors. At the time of the inspection there were people accommodated in three units.
The service did not have a manager registered with the CQC. A registered manager, along with the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. There was a manager in post who had submitted an application to register with the CQC under a new provider, Ridgeway Rise Care Limited.
What we did:
Prior to the inspection we looked at information we held about the service. This included notifications we had received from the service. Notifications are specific events the provider is required to notify us about by law. We spoke to the local authority safeguarding team and commissioners of the service.
During the inspection we spoke with five people, nine relatives and one visitor. We also spoke with the area operations manager, the home manager, three nurses, eight care staff, the dementia expert, the lead housekeeper and the chef.
We observed care practice and 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 looked at five people’s care records, medicine administration records, three staff files and a range of other records relating to the management of the service.
Following the inspection, we received feedback from two health and social care professionals. We also received some additional information from the area operations manager regarding compliments and the introduction of a newsletter.