Abbeycrest Nursing Home

Updated 20 December 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. 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.

Inspection team: The inspection team consisted of one inspector, a nurse specialist advisor and an assistant inspector.

Service and service type

Abbeycrest 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 service had a manager 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 unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection and previous inspection reports. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people and eight relatives about their experience of the care provided. We looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. The registered manager was absent during the inspection, but the service was well supported during the inspection by the clinical services manager and area manager. We looked at 11 people's care records and nine medicine administration records (MAR). We spoke with the clinical services manager, area manager and 10 staff which included, nurses, care staff, housekeepers, chef, dining room supervisor and activity co-ordinator. 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 registered manager to validate evidence found. We sought feedback from professionals who work with the service.

Updated 20 December 2019

About the service

Abbeycrest is a residential care home that was providing nursing and personal care to 69 people at the time of the inspection. The home can accommodate up to 70 people in one adapted building.

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

People felt safe in Abbeycrest and there were systems and processes to protect people from the risk of harm. Medicines were managed safely and people received these as prescribed. Systems for ensuring people's environment was safe were in place. A robust recruitment and selection process was in place and there were sufficient staff to meet people's needs. Infection control measures were in place.

People’s care, treatment and support had been assessed in line with best practice guidance. The service worked in partnership with other organisations to contribute to the development of best practice.

Management and staff worked together and with other professionals to ensure people received joined up care. There were champions within the service who actively supported staff to make sure people experienced good healthcare outcomes. Staff training was developed and delivered around people’s individual needs with specialist training provided where required. Staff told us they felt supported, had regular supervisions and were encouraged to develop their skills. There was a strong emphasis on the importance of eating and drinking well. The service provided good quality food with a variety of different options to choose from each day.

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's rights to make their own decisions were respected and people were in control of their support. This ensured that people’s human and legal rights were respected.

People and relatives described staff as kind and caring. Comments included, “Staff are so kind, I can’t praise them enough. I must emphasise how kind the carers are, carers are always smiling, very gentle.” People were treated with dignity and their choices respected. The service promoted a person-centred service that valued people as individuals.

The provider had quality assurance systems and processes to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement. These systems also supported people to stay safe by assessing and mitigating risks, ensuring that people were cared for in a person-centred way. People and their relatives told us they thought the service was well managed and they received high quality care that met their needs

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 4 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.