Archived: Cherry Trees

Updated 27 April 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 22 March 2017 and was conducted by one inspector. It was a comprehensive, unannounced inspection. Before the inspection visit, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We also reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from relatives, from the local authority commissioners and the statutory notifications the manager had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services which are paid for by the local authority.

During the inspection we spoke with three people who lived at the home and a relative. We spoke with the manager, deputy manager, two care staff, the cook and the provider’s training manager.

Many of the people living at the home were not able to tell us, in detail, about how they were cared for and supported because of their complex needs. However, we used the short observational framework tool (SOFI) to help us to assess if people’s needs were appropriately met and they experienced good standards of care. SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We observed care and support being delivered in communal areas and we observed how people were supported to eat and drink at lunch time.

We reviewed two people’s care plans and daily records to see how their care and treatment was planned and delivered. We reviewed a staff file to check staff were recruited safely and trained to deliver care and support appropriate to each person’s needs. We reviewed management records of the checks the manager and area manager made to assure themselves people received a safe, effective quality service.

Updated 27 April 2017

Cherry Trees is a residential care home, which provides accommodation and personal care for up to 14 older people, who might live with dementia. Eight people were living at the home at the time of our inspection visit. At the last inspection, the service was rated good. At this inspection we found the service remained good.

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.

Staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from the risk of abuse. The registered manager checked staff’s suitability for their role before they started working at the home and made sure there were enough staff to support people safely. Medicines were stored, administered and managed safely.

Risks to people’s individual health and wellbeing were identified and care was planned to minimise the risks, while promoting people’s independence. People and their families were included in planning how they were cared for and supported. The registered manager regularly checked that the premises and equipment were safe for people to use.

People were cared for and supported by staff who had the skills and training to meet their needs. The registered manager and staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet that met their preferences and were referred to healthcare services when their health needs changed.

The manager and staff understood people’s individual needs and preferences for care and support People were encouraged to maintain their interests and the relationships that were important to them and to take part in social activities. Staff knew people well and respected their privacy and dignity.

People and relatives knew the manager well and were confident any concerns or issues they raised had been dealt with promptly. The manager checked the quality of the service by working with staff and encouraging staff to support and engage with people as individuals.

People and their relatives were encouraged to share their opinions about the quality of the service. Staff were inspired by the registered manager’s leadership, skills and experience to provide a quality service. The service people received was in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.