Moat House

Updated 5 October 2022

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 two inspectors 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

Moat House 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. Moat House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 feedback from the local authority who work with the service. 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 nine people who used the service and four relatives to gain their views about the care and support provided. We met with 15 staff included the operations director, the registered manager, the care manager, housekeeping and care staff. We reviewed care plans and records for seven people. We also reviewed three staff recruitment files and staff training records. We reviewed a range of other information pertaining to the day to day management of the service, including key policies and procedures.

Updated 5 October 2022

About the service

The Moat House is a purpose built care home that accommodates 101 people across three separate floors, each of which has separate adapted facilities. One of the floors specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. People have access to a range of communal areas, including lounges, cinema room and outdoor areas. At the time of our inspection there were 97 people using the service.

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

People received safe care. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew how to report safeguarding concerns and keep people safe from harm. The provider had a robust recruitment process in place which ensured only staff who were suitable to work in social care were recruited. There were sufficient numbers of staff deployed to meet people's needs and keep them safe. We have made a recommendation that the provider reviews staff training needs around communication and effective interactions with people.

People received their medicines as prescribed from staff who had been trained and were competent to do so. There were effective systems in place to manage the cleanliness and infection prevention and control within the home. Staff had received training and followed infection control guidance, including COVID 19 guidance. Accidents, incidents and near misses were analysed and lessons learnt.

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.

The service was managed well. There was a positive culture in the home and people, their relatives and staff spoke positively about the management team. Robust quality assurance processes were in place and any shortfalls actioned promptly and used as an opportunity for learning. The service worked well with other agencies.

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 14 April 2018).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to safeguarding incidents. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions safe and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Moat House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

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.