Archived: Tennyson Grange

Updated 11 August 2022

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two inspectors 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

Tennyson Grange 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. Tennyson Grange is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

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 they were registered. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with ten people using the service and asked them about their experiences of the care and support provided at the service. Some people using the service could not talk to us, so we observed interactions between people and staff to understand their experiences. We spoke with the senior staff team which included the registered manager, the deputy manager, the regional support manager, the regional director and the administration assistant. We also spoke with six members of staff including a registered nurse, a senior care support worker, a care support worker, the chef, and two activity coordinators. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people's care records, medicines administration records (MARs) for five people, five staff recruitment files, staff training and supervision information and other records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 11 August 2022

About the service

Tennyson Grange is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 83 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 55 people using the service.

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

People were safe at Tennyson Grange. Staff had been trained to safeguard people from abuse, understood identified risks to people’s safety and wellbeing and knew what action to take, to help keep people safe. There were enough suitably skilled and experienced staff to support people and meet their needs. The provider carried out recruitment and criminal records checks on new staff to make sure they were suitable to support people. New staff were actively being recruited to work at the service to help improve the consistency of support people received.

People were involved in planning their care and could state their choices for how this was provided. People’s records reflected their needs and preferences and staff delivered care and support in line with people’s wishes. Staff knew people well and understood how their needs should be met. They were provided relevant training to help them meet people’s needs. Staff were well supported and encouraged to learn and improve in their role and to put people’s needs and wishes at the heart of everything they did.

Staff were kind, caring and treated people well. They respected people’s right to privacy and to be treated with dignity. People were encouraged to be as independent as they could be with daily living tasks. 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.

Medicines were managed safely. People were supported to take their medicines in a timely and appropriate way. Staff helped people to stay healthy and well. They supported people to manage their healthcare and medical conditions and made sure people could access support from healthcare professionals when needed. Staff encouraged people to eat and drink enough to meet their needs and to maintain a healthy diet. Staff worked proactively with healthcare professionals involved in people’s care and acted on their recommendations to deliver care and support that met people’s needs.

People were supported to undertake a wide range of activities and interests at the service. Relatives and friends were free to visit people if they wished without any unnecessary restrictions. The home had been designed and decorated to meet people’s needs. People had a choice of comfortable spaces to spend time in at the service. The home was clean and hygienic. Staff followed current infection control and hygiene practice to reduce the risk of infections. Visitors to the service were given information to help them reduce the risk of catching and spreading infection. Health and safety checks of the premises and equipment were carried out at regular intervals to make sure they were safe.

The service was managed well. The registered manager and senior staff team were experienced and had a clear understanding of how people’s needs should be met. They undertook checks at regular intervals, to monitor, review and improve the quality and safety of the service. The provider undertook their own checks of the service at regular intervals to make sure the service was meeting required standards.

There were systems in place to obtain feedback from people, staff and others about how the service could be improved. Accidents, incidents and complaints were fully investigated and people involved and informed of the outcome.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 10 December 2021 and this is the first inspection. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 4 March 2020.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Follow up

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