Park House Nursing Home

Updated 15 April 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.

We received information of concern about visiting arrangements at this service. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider has 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 21 March 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 15 April 2022

About the service

Park House Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 38 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 40 people over three floors in one adapted building.

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

People and their family members told us that the staff and culture at Park House Nursing Home were exceptionally caring. One person’s relative told us, “[Name] is well cared for and loved.” We saw that staff had very positive relationships with people, they took opportunities to enjoy spending time with them and promoting their dignity. People spoke highly of the care they received. Quotes included, “Amazing” “Excellent” and “I can’t speak highly enough.”

Staff had a high level of empathy for people, they were focused on people rather than tasks and kept people at the centre of everything they did; using their knowledge of each person to adapt their approach. One staff member said, “If somebody is down or upset, we should always have five minutes.” We saw people receive emotional support from staff that was kind and compassionate; such as a warm embrace, holding hands and giving reassurance when a person was anxious.

Each person had an individualised care plan that was regularly updated. These contained important details that enabled staff to be effective in providing person centred care. The care planning process dignified people, there was a focus on people’s achievements in their lives, their families, their trade or occupation.

People were listened to and staff at times discerned from people’s actions and wellbeing the views they wanted to express. One person’s family member said, “They have learned to listen to him from his actions. They know what he wants from what he does.”

There was a focus on people staying safe whilst remaining as independent as possible. 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.

One GP told us that the use of antipsychotic medication at the home had been reduced due to the quality of care people received, listening to and exploring people’s actions, the ethos of staff and the positive relationships they had with people. They told us, “The difference here is that people have more freedom.”

People living at the home, their family members and staff were all positive about the culture at the home. Staff told us that the culture guided and helped them to be effective in their roles. One staff member told us, “The manager has had a massive impact. They are open to ideas and staff opinions. Each person matters to her. I always feel listened to.” It was evident that both people living at the home had benefited from this culture.

The home was well maintained and tastefully decorated in a style that suited the building. There were different areas of interest and a variety of places to relax. The environment of the home was safe and well managed. There were regular thorough checks on the home’s maintenance and the services and equipment used in the building.

There were enough staff at the home to meet people’s needs in a timely manner. The registered manager regularly assessed the number of staff required. There were other systems in place that had been effective in helping them to ensure that the service provided was safe and of high quality.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 8 March 2017).

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.