Archived: Polebrook Nursing Home

Updated 20 July 2016

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014

This inspection took place on 09 June 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Prior to the inspection visit we gathered information from a number of sources. We looked at the information received about the service from notifications sent to the Care Quality Commission by the registered manager. We also spoke with the local authority commissioners, contracts officers and safeguarding team.

As part of this inspection we spent time with people who used the service talking with them and observing support, this helped us understand their experience of using the service. During our inspection, we observed how staff interacted and engaged with people who used the service during individual tasks and activities. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke with ten people who used the service, three relatives and two representatives from the local church. In addition we spoke with nine staff members and this included the registered manager, a nurse, three senior support workers, two care workers the chef and a member of the house keeping team. In addition we spoke with a visiting healthcare professional.

We reviewed the care records of six people who used the service to ensure they were reflective of people’s current needs. We also examined four staff files, the medication administration record sheets for 16 people, four weeks of the staff rota and other records relating to the management of the service such as staff training records and quality auditing records.

Updated 20 July 2016

The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 09 June 2016. This was the second comprehensive inspection carried out at Polebrook Nursing Home.

Polebrook Nursing Home is a large residential home with nursing, which is owned and managed by Birchester Medicare. It provides nursing care and support for up to 52 people. This includes people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 48 people using the service.

The service has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The staff team were passionate about providing a service that placed people and their families at the centre of their care. Without exception, people and relatives praised the staff for their caring, compassionate and professional approach. Everyone we spoke with said that staff went over and beyond what was expected of them and they were like family. Staff ensured confidentiality was maintained and people’s privacy and dignity was promoted.

Staff were trained to protect people from potential abuse and harm. They knew how to recognise signs of abuse and how to use the whistleblowing procedure. Risk assessments were centred on the needs of the individual and any potential risks to people had been identified. We saw that risk management plans had been completed to enable them to live as safely and independently as possible. Robust recruitment checks took place in order to establish that staff were safe to work with people before they commenced employment. There were sufficient numbers of staff available to meet people’s care and support needs. Suitable arrangements were in place for the safe management of medicines and these were consistently followed to ensure people received their medicines safely.

Staff received good support and training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They were provided with ongoing training to update their skills and knowledge to support people with their care needs. . Staff sought people's consent to care and treatment which was in line with current legislation. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to ensure their dietary needs were met. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments and liaised with their GP and other healthcare professionals as required.

People received care that was responsive to their needs and centred on them as individuals. Their needs were assessed and care plans gave clear guidance on how they were to be supported. Records showed that people and their relatives were involved in the assessment process and review of their care. A wide and varied range of activities was on offer for people to participate in if they wished. The service had an effective complaints procedure in place and we saw appropriate systems for responding to any complaints the service received. Staff were responsive to people’s worries, anxieties and concerns and acted promptly to resolve them.

Systems were in place which continuously assessed and monitored the quality of the service, including obtaining feedback from people who used the service and their relatives. Records showed that systems for recording and managing complaints, safeguarding concerns and incidents and accidents were managed well. The registered manager took steps to learn from such events and put measures in place which meant lessons were learnt and they were less likely to happen again.

Staff enjoyed working at the service and felt well supported in their roles. They told us the registered manager was an excellent role model and there were systems in place to develop staff and promote reflective practice. There was a culture of openness and inclusion at the service and we found a caring and positive atmosphere amongst the staff team. This was reflected in the way staff supported people and each other.

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