Hollies

Updated 6 June 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This inspection was carried out by an inspector, assistant inspector and an Expert by Experience (ExE). An ExE is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type:

Hollies is a ‘care home’ which is registered to provide personal care and nursing for up to 58 people. 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 took place on 7 May 2019 and was unannounced.

What we did:

Before the inspection we looked at information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. 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 looked at all the information we had collected about the service. This included previous inspection reports, information received and notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law.

During the inspection we spoke to nine people using the service and six relatives of people residing in the home. We observed staff working with people in communal areas of the service. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, regional director, the administrator, the maintenance staff member, two nurses, housekeeping staff, catering staff, senior care staff member and three care staff. We looked at nine people's care records and associated documents. We reviewed people’s medicine administration.

We looked at the records of accidents, incidents and complaints, audits and quality assurance reports. We also looked at staff training records for all staff, recruitment records and supervision and appraisal records.

After the inspection we requested feedback from five health and social care professionals. We received two responses.

Updated 6 June 2019

About the service:

Hollies is a ‘care home’ which provides personal care and nursing for up to 58 people, some of who may be living with dementia. At the time of inspection there were 49 people residing at the home.

People’s experience of using this service:

Staff were highly skilled and had a natural aptitude to give reassurance and comfort to people living in the home. They treated people with the utmost dignity and respect when helping them with daily living tasks. There was an excellent understanding of seeing each person as an individual, with their own specific needs.

People were protected from avoidable harm and abuse by staff members, who understood their role and responsibility in relation to safeguarding and keeping them safe. Safe recruitment practices were followed to make sure, as far as possible, that people were protected from staff being employed who were not suitable.

People were assisted to take their prescribed medicines safely by staff who were assessed as competent to do so. Where people required their medicines at a specific time or with food, this need was met. Storage and handling of medicine was managed appropriately.

People benefited from a home that was light, spacious and free of malodours. The registered manager advised they would be reviewing best practice on how to ensure they can make the environment more dementia friendly.

People's needs were assessed and their care delivered in accordance with appropriate guidance and best practice. The provider worked with other services to ensure consistent care. Staff received the training and support they needed to carry out their roles effectively. People received appropriate support to attend healthcare appointments, to remain healthy and to eat and drink well.

People who lived at Hollies received care from a staff team who were passionate about delivering a high-quality, person-centred service. People's care and support met their needs and reflected their preferences. The provider upheld people's human rights. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

The service was well-managed by a registered manager, who provided clear and direct leadership. Good communication was maintained between the registered manager and the staff team. There were systems to assess the quality of the service and promote continuous improvement. People, staff and relatives were involved in improving and developing the service.

Rating at last inspection:

The service was last inspected on 20 September 2016 and was rated Good (report published on 20 October 2016).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned comprehensive inspection based on rating of the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk