The Sidcup Care Home

Updated 26 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 07 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 26 February 2022

About the service

The Sidcup Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 77 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 100 people.

People received care across three floors, the top floor was for people who did not have nursing needs. The building was purpose built with communal lounge and dining areas and garden spaces.

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

People told us they felt safe. Staff took action to mitigate risks to people and records in this area were up to date. We received mixed feedback about the food and actions were underway to make changes to improve people’s experience of mealtimes. Staff had received training to carry out their roles, including training specific to people’s needs such as training in dementia care. People with clinical needs received support from nurses who stayed up to date with current practice. The service worked with healthcare professionals to ensure people’s health needs were met.

People’s medicines were administered as planned and care plans were personalised. Care was planned around people’s needs, preferences and diverse characteristics. People received personalised and dignified end of life care and there was a wide variety of activities which people said they enjoyed. People said they were able to choose their activities. People knew how to raise a complaint and any issues raised had been responded to.

People said they were supported by caring staff who cared for them in a way that respected their privacy. 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 were supported in a way that encouraged them to be independent.

There were robust systems in place to check and audit the quality of care delivery and people were given regular opportunities to provide feedback. Staff felt supported in their roles and there were systems in place to enable communication and seek staff suggestions. The service worked in partnership with organisations and the community in a way that impacted positively upon people.

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 18 January 2019).

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 was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.