Elm Bank Care Home

“We assessed the service because there had been concerns identified regarding the quality and safety of the home.”

“At this assessment, we found that while the home demonstrated several areas of good practice, improvements were needed to ensure consistent delivery of high-quality care across all domains.”

“People were supported by staff who were kind and compassionate. We observed mainly respectful interactions and practices that upheld dignity, such as the separate preparation of pureed meals to maintain presentation and promote a positive dining experience. People spoke positively about the range of activities available, including music, gardening, and community events, which supported emotional wellbeing and social inclusion.”

“Staff generally provided person-centred care and supported people to make choices about their daily routines. However, we identified gaps in the provision of adaptive equipment, such as cutlery, which limited opportunities for people to maintain independence during mealtimes. This suggests that not all reasonable adjustments had been considered before offering support, impacting autonomy and control.”

“While the home was responsive to residents’ preferences and promoted community engagement, some systems lacked consistency in ensuring that care was always delivered in line with best practice. Improvements are needed in areas such as promoting independence, reviewing equipment provision, and ensuring that all staff are supported to deliver care that maximises choice and control.”

“The service was not meeting all regulatory standards at the time of inspection. We have made recommendations to support improvement and will continue to monitor progress.”

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“The provider did not always have systems to identify, assess, and mitigate risks to people’s safety and welfare. Where systems were in place, the provider did not always have sufficient oversight to ensure they were effective. However, the service had recently implemented a new electronic monitoring system which needed to be fully embedded to be most effective.”

“During the assessment we spoke with 26 residents, 28 relatives and 20 staff including the management team, as well as visiting professionals. There was a registered manager on site, however we were told they had resigned towards the end of this assessment.”

“We looked at 4 staff files and 8 peoples care records.”

“The management team were responsive to our findings, taking immediate actions in some cases whilst some require further actions.”

“Our findings found breaches in safe care and treatment and governance.”

“We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.”

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