Spring Gardens

Updated 26 September 2020

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 as part of our Thematic Review of infection control and prevention in care homes.

Inspection team

One inspector carried out the inspection.

Service and service type

Spring Gardens is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 newly appointed manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced. Having consideration of the coronavirus pandemic, we gave the registered manager a short period of notice of our arrival. This was to ensure safe systems were in place to protect everyone.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We observed the care and support provided to five of the people who lived at the home. We spoke on the telephone to three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager, senior support workers and support workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medicine records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records. We spoke with one professional who regularly visited the service.

Updated 26 September 2020

About the service

Spring Gardens is a residential care home providing personal care and accommodation for up to six adults in one large adapted bungalow. In July 2019, the service moved from their previous home called Bridge House into Spring Gardens to meet the changing needs of people as they became older. At the time of the inspection, six people were living at the home. All of whom were living with a learning disability and/or autism.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

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

Care records were updated to reflect people’s current needs. However, previous records had not been removed from files and therefore contained conflicting information regarding people’s needs.

We have made a recommendation for care records to be reviewed and out of date information removed from files to provide staff with clear guidance on people’s needs.

The provider had quality monitoring systems in place however, these had not identified that peoples care records contained conflicting information. The provider took immediate action following the inspection to review all people's care records and remove historical information.

People were observed to be happy and supported by a staff team who knew them well. Staff were observed to provide care and support in line with people's needs and wishes. One relative told us, “[Person] is happy, content and well cared for. We couldn’t ask for more from the fantastic staff.”

Staff understood how to safeguard people from abuse. People's privacy and dignity was seen to be maintained. The newly appointed registered manager used information from accidents and incidents to learn lessons. Medicines were managed safely. A complaints system was in place.

The home had a dedicated infection prevention and control champion who ensured national guidance was being followed. The registered manager monitored all areas of the home ensuring high standards of infection prevention and control were delivered and that suitable supplies of personal protective equipment were available. Additional activities had been planned within the home during lockdown to positively support people through a period of extreme change to their routines. People were supported to have telephone or FaceTime contact with relatives.

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.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

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 (published 31 August 2018) and there were two breaches of regulation. 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 undertook this focused inspection to check the provider 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 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 Bridge House 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.