Erskine Hall Care Home

Updated 24 March 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.

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

This inspection was carried out by three inspectors and two Experts 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

Erskine Hall Care Home 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. Erskine Hall Care Home 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 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. Inspection activity started on 14 February 2023 and ended on 6 March 2023. We visited the location’s service on 14 February 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority, Healthwatch England and professionals who work with the service. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

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 11 people and 18 of their relatives. We spoke with 13 members of staff including the registered manager, the clinical deputy manager, nurses, housekeeping staff, catering staff, activities coordinator staff and healthcare staff.

We reviewed 11 people’s care records and multiple medicine records. We reviewed the recruitment records for 2 staff. We looked at various policies and quality assurance documents and spoke with 3 professionals who have regular contact with the service.

Updated 24 March 2023

About the service

Erskine Hall Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 74 people. The service provides residential and nursing support to both older and younger adults including people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 62 people using the service.

The home was split across 2 floors. Each person had their own ensuite bathroom and there were additional communal bathrooms and toilets should people wish to use them. There were shared facilities on each floor including a cinema room, hair salon, activities room, lounges, dining rooms, gardens and laundry facilities.

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

People told us they were very happy living at Erskine Hall Care Home. One person told us, “If you ask me what the best thing is in this home, it is the standard of care and [staff]. They are fantastic hard-working people, polite and gentle and there to help. Genuinely nice [staff].”

People told us they were supported well with their medicines. Any discrepancies or errors were quickly identified by the senior staff team and action taken to address them and ensure people’s well-being.

People were supported to look at ways of reducing risks to their health and wellbeing and these were regularly reviewed. People were supported to access all relevant health and social care professionals when required, to meet their needs.

People and their relatives were involved in regular reviews of their care. Relatives could access care records remotely to stay updated on the daily life of their family member.

People told us staff encouraged them to make choices and do what they could for themselves to maintain their independence as much as possible. People’s care was planned to meet their individual likes and dislikes where their diverse range of preferences were respected.

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 told us the food was good and they could ask for alternative options and request extra snacks and meals or drinks day or night. They told us there was plenty to do for those who wished to be involved in events in the service. Alternatively, there were other less busy areas for people who chose to spend time quietly relaxing.

People and relatives told us relatives and friends could visit them unrestricted and were always made to feel welcome. They told us the service was well-run with an approachable registered manager and staff team.

People and relatives told us they could always make suggestions or raise a concern and have confidence they would be listened to and their views acted upon.

Professionals gave positive feedback about the management of the service, the care of the staff team and the successful partnership working. The registered manager ensured a variety of quality assurance tools drove a culture of continuous learning and improvement.

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 3 May 2019) and there was a breach of regulation. 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 improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection.

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.