The Anchorage Residential Care Home

Updated 25 July 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The 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

The Anchorage Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

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. This included statutory notifications sent to us by the registered manager about events that had occurred at the service. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, administrator, IT manager, a senior care worker, care workers, the activity manager, training manager and the chef. We also spoke with an external trainer who was delivering training on the day of our visit.

We reviewed a range of records. This included six people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We spoke with two relatives of people living at the service and received feedback from four professionals who have involvement with the service.

Updated 25 July 2019

About the service

The Anchorage Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing personal for up to 36 older people with various support needs, including physical and sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection, 31 people were in residence. The care home is set in well-maintained, easily accessible grounds. It consists of one adapted building with a modern, purpose-built wing. All bedrooms have en-suite facilities and there are a range of communal areas for people to enjoy.

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

People felt safe and told us they enjoyed living at the service. One person said, “The atmosphere hits you at the front door. It’s a calm, happy place”. Risks to people had been assessed and staff followed guidance to keep people safe. Staffing levels were enough to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely. The home was clean and staff had been trained in infection prevention and control. Lessons were learned if things went wrong.

People spoke positively about the staff who supported them and had confidence in their skills and experience. Staff had regular supervisions and an annual appraisal. People enjoyed the food and were able to make suggestions for changes to the menu. Snacks and drinks were readily available throughout the day. People had access to a range of healthcare professionals and support. Premises were suitable and comfortable and met people's needs. People spoke enthusiastically about the gardens and we saw people enjoying the outdoor space.

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 looked after by kind and caring staff who knew them well. People were encouraged to be involved in decisions relating to their care and were treated with dignity and respect. In a card of thanks, one relative had written, ‘She was beautifully looked after by kind and caring people'.

People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs. Activities were organised according to people's preferences, interests and suggestions. Several activities involved people from the local community.

People could spend the rest of their lives at the home, if their needs could be met and this was their wish.

People considered the home was well-organised. The registered manager provided a visible presence at the home. People were encouraged in their involvement and development of the home and their feedback was encouraged. A podiatrist who regularly visited the home told us, ‘The Anchorage Care Home has always struck me as a friendly and caring home, relaxed and yet efficient’.

The provider had systems of quality assurance to measure and monitor the standard of the service and drive improvement. There were links with the community, for example, children and young people visited the home. The home worked proactively with healthcare professionals. The senior team had taken a lead role in sharing their experience of developing staff champions for areas of care such as continence and diabetes with other providers in the local area.

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 10 December 2016).

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.