Hambrook Meadows

Updated 21 February 2020

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

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Hambrook Meadows 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 unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

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 reviewed information we held about the service, such as the previous inspection report.

The law requires providers to notify us of certain events that happen during the running of a service. We reviewed notifications received since the last inspection.

We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with two people living at the home, four visitors, two healthcare professionals who visited, five staff and the registered manager.

We spent time sitting with people in communal areas and observed how staff interacted with them.

We looked at a range of records, including care plans for three people, medicines records, recruitment records for three staff and audits.

After the inspection

We received written feedback from a further two relatives and one healthcare professional.

Updated 21 February 2020

About the service

Hambrook Meadows is a residential care home providing personal care and accommodation to 16 people. The service can support up to 20 people.

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

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.

There was a strong, visible caring culture of caring for people. People’s relatives spoke in glowing terms of how exceptionally compassionate and kind staff were. Staff cared for people in ways which demonstrated a real empathy for them and this caring attitude impacted very positively upon people’s lives. People expressed their views and were involved in making everyday decisions about their care. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and promoted independence.

The registered manager and staff worked closely with healthcare professionals to ensure people’s needs were met at the end of their lives. People had personalised care plans in place which detailed their physical and mental health needs, their personal preferences and social histories. People enjoyed a range of activities which had been designed to meet their individual needs.

The provider had policies and procedures in place designed to protect people from the risk of suffering harm and abuse. Risk assessments were in place which identified possible risks to people living at the home. People’s needs were met by suitable numbers of staff. People received their medicines as prescribed. The provider had processes in place to reduce the risk of the spread of infection.

People’s needs were assessed before they were offered a room in the home. People were supported by staff who had the appropriate training and skills. The registered manager had made changes to the home so that the environment met the needs of people living with dementia. People were supported to access healthcare professionals when necessary and staff sought consent to care in line with law and guidance. People were supported to eat and drink enough.

The provider had a complaints procedure in place. The registered manager and provider ensured there was a person-centred, open and inclusive environment for people to live and staff to work. There was a clear leadership structure in place which included the registered manager and senior staff. The registered manager sought the views of people using the service, their relatives and staff and had a system of auditing in place to monitor the quality of the service offered. The registered manager and staff valued working with other professionals to improve outcomes for people.

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 (report published 20 May 2017)

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.