Larchfield

Updated 9 February 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 13 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 9 February 2022

About the service: Larchfield is a care home for up to 40 people who have physical disabilities, mental health conditions and may be living with dementia. The service was providing care to 36 people at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service: People were happy living at the service. They told us they felt safe and well looked after. Staff received safeguarding training and knew how to recognise and report any concerns. Staff were recruited safely and there were enough staff to meet people's needs. People received their medicines as prescribed. The service was clean and staff followed good hygiene practices.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The provider and staff acted within the law when people lacked capacity to make their own decisions. People's health and nutritional needs were met and understood by staff. Staff received induction, training, supervision and support to enable them to feel confident and be competent in their role.

Staff were patient and friendly, and people's privacy and dignity was respected. They showed they valued people as individuals and had formed supportive relationships with people. Staff knew how people preferred their care and support to be provided.

Care plans were kept up to date and reflected people's needs. The provider was responsive to complaints and concerns. There were opportunities for people to discuss any concerns or ideas they had about the service. People chose to pursue a variety of activities and interests at the service and in their local community.

The service had an open and supportive culture. Audits and checks were carried out to monitor the quality of care delivered. There was a commitment for improvement and learning from any actions identified. The registered manager and management team were committed to providing good quality care and support for people.

Rating at last inspection: Requires Improvement (Published 27 February 2018)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: Going forward we will continue to monitor this service and plan to inspect in line with our reinspection schedule for those services rated Good. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

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