Cedrus House

Updated 19 October 2023

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

The inspection site visit was completed by 3 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

Cedrus 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. Cedrus House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 18 August 2023 and ended on 13 September. We visited the service on 18 August 2023.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 11 people who lived at Cedrus House to seek their reviews of their care and support. Not everyone who used the service were able to tell us about their experience of receiving the service, so observations of care and support were also made. We spoke with 6 people’s relatives and had telephone calls to seek feedback with a further 6 relatives. We spoke with 13 staff members. These included the registered manager, deputy manager, the clinical lead, the regional manager, trained nurses, care, catering, housekeeping and maintenance staff. Following our site visit, we received feedback via email from a further 10 staff.

A selection of records was also viewed, and these included the care plans and associated records for 8 people who used the service. The medicines records for 10 people were also assessed. The governance records viewed included policies and procedures, staff recruitment records, training information, quality monitoring audits and maintenance records.

Updated 19 October 2023

About the service

Cedrus House provides accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 70 older people. There were 69 people living in the home on the day of our inspection.

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

People told us they felt safe and happy living at Cedrus House. People were positive about the care and support they received and told us they were treated with dignity and respect by staff knowledgeable about them and their support needs.

People praised the caring nature of the staff. There was a warm and friendly atmosphere at the care home. It was clear that people were relaxed and comfortable; and they had positive relationships with staff members.

Staff were aware of safeguarding arrangements and knew what action to take to keep people safe. We received some mixed feedback about staffing levels however we also received positive comments that staff were visible, and people received their care in a timely manner. The registered manager was closely monitoring staffing levels to ensure they remained sufficient.

There were enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff were recruited safely, and appropriate checks were carried out. Medicines were managed safely.

People’s risks were managed safely. Risk assessments in place were person centred, thorough and gave clear information for staff on how to support people to reduce these risks. The home was clean and there were good infection control practices in place.

People’s needs were assessed, and information was used to create detailed care plans which supported staff to provide person-centred care. A range of group and individual activities were provided for people to participate in. A relative told us, “They do a lot of activities and more so now with the new manager. [Family member] loves it when the exercise person comes and lots of other [people] seem to enjoy that. They go out on quite a few outings which is lovely. They share lots of pictures and it is nice that relatives can see what their family member has been doing.”

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's views were sought and used to drive improvement within the home. The registered manager understood the importance of their role and had made all notifications to CQC as required by law.

The registered manager and provider had good oversight of the service. Quality checks and audits were effective in identifying and generating improvements to ensure the safety and quality of the care people received. People and relatives said the service was well managed and they would recommend the service to others.

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 25 January 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Cedrus 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.