Heatherdale Healthcare Limited

Updated 10 July 2021

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 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

The inspection was carried out by an inspector, a specialist nurse and an expert by experience. 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

Heatherdale Healthcare Limited 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 whose application to register with the Care Quality Commission was being processed. This means that the provider was 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. We sought and received feedback from the local authority and health professionals who work with the service. 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 two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with thirteen members of staff including the manager, area manager, clinical nurse lead, two nurses, the head of care, five senior/care staff, the chef and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We attended the daily departmental meeting and observed staff supporting people in the lounge and part of the lunchtime meal.

We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. We also looked at a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff training, health and safety and quality checks and audits.

After the inspection

The expert by experience spoke with five people who used the service and five relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also received positive feedback from a National Health Service care liaison adviser and the GP.

Updated 10 July 2021

About the service

Heatherdale Healthcare Limited is a care home providing nursing and personal care. The service can support up to 43 people. There were 36 people were living at the home at the time of the inspection. The service supports people aged over 65 years some of whom are living with dementia and a range of health needs. Accommodation is provided over two floors with a communal lounge, dining room and activity room on the ground floor.

People’s experience of using this service

People and their relatives said their experiences of the service were positive. One person told us, “Staff are always on training, so I think they always know what they are doing. I would trust my life with them.” A relative said, “The staff seem to love him(person living at the service). He gets on really well with the staff. They support him mentally and emotionally, as well as physically. They are really good”.

There had been a number of improvements since the last inspection which benefitted people. People could be assured their complaints would be responded to; nurses had the knowledge and skills to support and monitor people’s health conditions; the service was monitored to ensure people received a quality service.

This included systems for monitoring the quality of the service, the handling of complaints, nurses clinical training, the monitoring of clinical risks and the management of medicines.

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. Staff understood how to apply the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

There were systems to recruit suitable staff and enough were available to meet people’s needs. The provider had ensured staff were deployed where they were most needed at the service.

People told us they felt safe and staff understood their roles in safeguarding people from harm. Risks to people had been identified, assessed and staff knew how to manage these risks safely. There was a process to identify learning from accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns.

People’s nutritional needs were assessed and met, people had access to health and social care professionals as required. The environment was suitably adapted to their needs.

People told us staff treated them with care and kindness. They had a personalised plan for their care that reflected their needs. An activity coordinator was employed, and people were offered a range of in-house and external activities. People’s wishes relating to their end of life care needs had been discussed with them or their relatives, where appropriate.

People and their relatives were positive about the manager and the way the home was run. In a survey of people who used the service the overwhelming majority of people said they would recommend the service to others. A relative said, “I think the manager is open and transparent and has a good reassuring background. I know they are looking at involving the relatives and the residents in making improvements to the home.”

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 requires improvement (published 24 October 2018) and there were three breaches of regulation with regards to risk management, handling complaints and the governance of the service. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.

We carried out a targeted inspection on 13 August 2020 to check on specific concerns we had about management of risks, infection control and the governance of the service. We carried out an additional targeted inspection on 9 December 2020 to check on a specific concerns we had about infection control and staffing. We did not find any additional breaches of regulation during these targeted inspections. 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, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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 is 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 Heatherdale Healthcare Limited 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.