Wild Acres Care Home

Updated 12 November 2020

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place. As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are conducting a thematic review of infection control and prevention measures in care homes.

This inspection took place on 20/10/2020 and was announced. The service was selected to take part in this thematic review which is seeking to identify examples of good practice in infection prevention and control.

Updated 12 November 2020

About the service

Wild Acres Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for older adults, some of whom experience living with dementia. The home is a single storey building, with some bedrooms having en-suite facilities. It can provide accommodation and personal care for up to twenty-six people. On the day of the inspection twenty-five people were using the service.

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

The service provided exceptionally responsive, person-centred support to people which consistently achieved outstanding outcomes for people. Staff provided excellent consistency and continuity of care which had a major impact on people’s quality of life.

Staff consistently went the extra mile to find out what people had done in the past to enable people to carry out person-centred activities which enriched the quality of their lives. People were supported to maintain relationships that mattered to them which protected them from the risk of social isolation and loneliness. The service worked closely with healthcare professionals and provided outstanding end of life care, which ensured people experienced a comfortable, dignified and pain-free death.

People were supported by a stable core staff group who were kind, caring and inspired by the registered manager to deliver high quality, personalised care.

People experienced safe care. Risks to people were identified and managed safely by staff who understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse and avoidable harm. Enough staff with the required skills and knowledge provided people with safe care. People received their medicines safely, as prescribed, from staff who had completed the required training and had their competency assessed to do so.

High standards of cleanliness and hygiene were maintained throughout the home, which reduced the risk of infection. Staff followed the required standards of food safety and hygiene, when preparing, serving and handling food.

Accidents and incidents were reviewed, and the registered manager took action to prevent a recurrence.

People received effective care and support which consistently achieved successful outcomes and promoted a good quality of life. Staff felt valued and well supported by the management team, through a system of effective training, competency assessment, supervision and appraisal. Staff consistently delivered care in accordance with people’s support plans and recognised best practice.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain good health.

The service worked well with other organisations to ensure prompt referrals to healthcare services when people’s needs changed. 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.Staff treated people with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect. People and relatives consistently told us staff made them feel valued and listened to. Staff supported people to express their views by involving them in developing their care plans and making decisions about their care. Staff responded in a timely and caring way when people experience physical pain, discomfort or emotional distress.

Staff identified the communication needs of people with a disability or sensory loss and effectively shared this information with others when required. People knew how to make a complaint and were confident the provider would address their concerns.

The service was well-led, with the registered manager providing clear and direct leadership and a safe environment, which had cultivated a positive, open and empowering culture.

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was Good (report published 5 January 2017).

Why we inspected:

This was a planned comprehensive 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.

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