Heatherside Care Home

This report summarises an inspection of Heatherside Care Home. The visit focused on checking improvements made following a previous inspection where concerns were identified. The inspectors assessed how safe and well-led the service is, speaking with residents, relatives, and staff, and reviewing important records. The overall aim was to ensure people living at Heatherside are well cared for and protected.

On safety, the home is ensuring residents are protected from harm, with staff aware of safeguarding procedures and confident to raise concerns. Appropriate risk assessments are in place for health, safety, and the environment, including thorough infection control measures and safe medication administration. Recruitment processes are robust, and staff receive necessary training, although some residents expressed a desire for more staff.

In terms of how effective the care is, the report indicates improvements have been made to ensure services are delivered consistently. While not the primary focus of this inspection, past findings suggest a move towards more consistent care planning and delivery.

Regarding caring practices, residents and relatives generally feel safe and well-treated. Staff appear motivated and aware of residents' needs, with efforts made to involve residents in decisions about their care, such as menu changes.

The service is responsive to residents' needs, with efforts to maintain contact with loved ones through visits and video calls, especially important during times when in-person visits are challenging.

The home is well-led, with a registered manager who staff feel supported by and who actively seeks to involve residents and staff in the service's management. Audits are conducted regularly to monitor and improve quality, with clear actions taken to address identified issues, such as in fire safety and legionella risk management. While staff supervisions were not always happening consistently, this was being addressed. There was also a noted point for improvement regarding the provider's awareness of requirements for agency staff background checks.