Archived: South Newton Hospital

Updated 6 October 2023

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.

Inspection team

Three inspectors, a pharmacy inspector and an Expert by Experience carried out this inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

South Newton Hospital provides short-term accommodation for people requiring personal and nursing care. It provides this service to people leaving hospital who are unable to return immediately to their own homes.

CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection. This was because it is a small service and we needed to be sure that the registered manager would be in the office to support the inspection.

We visited the location on 6 June 2023 and 13 June 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection, as it had only recently registered the service. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with 8 people who used the service. We also spoke with the registered manager and a range of staff including, but not limited to, the director of quality and nursing, the head of quality and governance, the lead nurse and rehabilitation assistants.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care records, 5 people’s medicine administration records, and records relating to the management of the service including audits, policies, meeting minutes, and staff records.

Updated 6 October 2023

About the service

South Newton Hospital is run by Renovo South Newton Ltd and provides short-term accommodation for people requiring personal and nursing care. It is registered to provide these services to up to 31 people. The service is used by people leaving hospital who are unable to return immediately to their own homes. Some people use the service for a few days and return home when care and equipment have been arranged for them. Some people use the service for a few weeks and receive rehabilitation such as physiotherapy before returning home.

At the time of our inspection there were 12 people using the service in 2 units. The accommodation in each unit comprises individual en-suite rooms with shared lounges, kitchen and dining areas.

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

People were treated with kindness and respect. People were treated as individuals and partners in their care and rehabilitation. People described staff as caring and attentive. Staff and managers were focussed on providing people with the best possible service.

People used the service safely and were protected from harm. Risks to people were identified, recorded and managed. Premises were clean and equipment was checked regularly.

Medicines were stored, used, and recorded properly by trained staff. People’s medicines were reviewed regularly by a resident doctor.

People had their care needs assessed in hospital, and these assessments were reviewed by the provider before people arrived at the service. People were supported by staff who had the right training and experience.

People were supported to have the maximum choice and control of their care and rehabilitation. People’s nutritional and hydration needs were met, and people we spoke to enjoyed the quality and choice of meals offered.

People’s care records were detailed and focussed on their specific individual needs. People were encouraged to give their views about how any aspect of the service could be improved.

The registered manager was a visible and a supportive presence at the service and staff spoke highly of them and the wider management team. Auditing processes were in place and people and staff had opportunities to provide feedback and suggestions about the service. There was an open and positive culture which promoted high-quality care.

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

Rating at last inspection

The provider registered this service with us in March 2023 and this is the first inspection. Previously we inspected different services run by Renovo South Newton Ltd at South Newton Hospital. The last rating of those services was inadequate, (reports published on 16 March 2022 and 13 January 2023).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection because the provider had registered changes to its service, and because previous services registered at this location had been rated inadequate.

Follow up

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

Updated 16 March 2022

We rated the service as inadequate. We had not previously rated the service.

See the overall summary for details.