• Care Home
  • Care home

Sheringham House

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

54 Old Road East, Gravesend, Kent, DA12 1NR (01474) 329807

Provided and run by:
Achieve Together Limited

Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 7 June 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

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors.

Service and service type

Sheringham House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Sheringham House is a care home without nursing care. 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

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. 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. We used this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three relatives about their experience of the care provided to their loved ones. We spoke with five members of staff including the regional manager, the registered manager and three care staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 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.

Overall inspection

Requires improvement

Updated 7 June 2023

About the service

Sheringham House is a residential care home providing a regulated activity of accommodation for people who require personal care for up to 10 people. The service provides support to people with a learning disability and autistic people. At the time of our inspection there were 8 people using the service. The service was a large home and people's rooms were on the ground floor and first floor.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. 'Right support, right care, right culture' is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support: People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control during mealtimes. Some people at the service could take other people’s food and drink and this had not been consistently well managed. People had not always been supported to maintain a healthy weight, for example some people were identified as being overweight and there was not a clear plan in place to support these people. Staff supported people to achieve their aspirations and goals and these were regularly reviewed. The service gave people care and support in a safe, well equipped, well-furnished, and well-maintained environment that met their sensory and physical needs.

People were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.

Right Care: People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people’s privacy and dignity. They understood and responded to their individual needs. Staff understood how to protect people from poor care and abuse. The service worked well with other agencies to do so. Staff had training on how to recognise and report abuse and they knew how to apply it. People’s care and support plans reflected their range of needs and this promoted their wellbeing and enjoyment of life.

Right Culture: People and those important to them, including advocates, were involved in planning their care. Relatives told us since the last inspection the service has improved their communication with them. Staff knew and understood people well and were responsive, supporting their aspirations to live a quality life of their choosing.

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

The last rating for this service was inadequate (published 01 December 2022). 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 the provider remained in breach of some of the regulations.

This service has been in Special Measures since 01 December 2022. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We 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.

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for ‘Sheringham House’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to person centred care and good governance at this inspection.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.