Spring Mount

Updated 9 October 2020

This was a targeted inspection to check whether the provider had met the requirements of the Requirement Notices in relation to Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) and Regulation 17 (Good governance) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.

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 was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

Spring Mount is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 announced. We gave the service short notice of our inspection. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, we needed to check the COVID-19 status of the home and plan to enter the home safely to reduce the risk of infection transmission. Inspection activity started on 15 September 2020 and ended on 22 September 2020. We visited the home on 17 September 2020.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback form the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We asked the provider to send us records including audits and training records. The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We used all this information to plan the inspection.

During the inspection

We observed care in the garden and communal areas, including the lunch-time service. We spoke with two people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with five members of staff including the registered manager, team leader, senior care worker and care workers. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and multiple medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were reviewed.

After the inspection

We spoke with three relatives about their experience of care provided.

Updated 9 October 2020

This inspection took place on 4 December 2018 and 7 January 2019 and was unannounced on both days.

Spring Mount 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 care home can accommodate up to 25 people and specialises in the care of people living with dementia. The home offers care to younger people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people using the service.

Following the last inspection in September 2016 the overall rating for the service was ‘good’. During this inspection we found improvements were needed and the overall rating has changed to ‘requires improvement’.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt the service was safe. However, we found risks to people’s safety and welfare were not always managed effectively.

We found the home was clean and free of unpleasant odours. However, we found the registered providers quality monitoring systems had not been effective in identifying and dealing with risks such as those posed by radiators with hot surface temperatures.

There was an ongoing programme of refurbishment and some evidence the needs of people living with dementia had been taken into consideration. For example, the grounds were secure and people could go outside whenever they wanted. However, we found there was scope for improvement and made a recommendation about this.

People’s medicines were not always managed safely.

There were enough staff and safe recruitment procedures were followed. This helped to protect people from the risk of being supported by staff unsuitable to work in a care setting. Staff received training for their roles and told us they felt supported by the management team.

People told us the food was good.

People were not always supported effectively to access the full range of NHS services. We made a recommendation about this.

We found the service was acting in people’s best interests but this was not always reflected in their care records. Similarly, we found that although people’s relatives told us they were consulted about care this was not evidenced in the records. We found people’s care plans were not always up to date and accurate. However, staff could tell us about people’s current needs.

The service aimed to provide an enabling environment where people living with dementia were supported without the use of tranquilising or sedating medication. We observed many positive interactions between staff and people who used the service. However, we also saw examples of interactions which did not promote people’s privacy and dignity.

People were supported to take part in a range of activities inside and outside the home. However, some people felt this was an area which could be improved.

People spoke positively about the management team. They told us they felt confident any concerns they raised would be dealt with and said they would not hesitate to recommend the service to family or friends.

However, we found the registered providers systems for monitoring the quality and safety of the services provided were not always operated effectively. The management team acted quickly to address the concerns we identified during our inspection. From our discussions we were assured they were committed to making the required improvements to ensure people experienced consistently good outcomes.

We found the provider was in breach of two regulations. These were Regulation 12 (Safe care and treatment) and Regulation 17 (Good governance) of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see the action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.