Sutton care home completes remarkable turnaround to go from 'inadequate' to 'good'

Forest Manor Care Home, on Mansfield Road was inspected in October and November by Government watchdog the Care Quality Commission (CQC).

The home, which is run by ASH A Healthcare, provides personal and nursing care to younger and older adults with support needs.

CQC carried out the inspection to find out if improvements had been made since its previous inspection.

And inspectors were hugley impressed and upgraded the ratings for how safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led the service is from inadequate to good.

Inspectors found staff ensured people’s needs were assessed and reviewed regularly to improve people’s care and treatment and ensure it remained effective.

They also said staff treated people with kindness and compassion and supported them to live healthier lives, reducing their future need for care and support where possible.

Staff managed medicines safely and effectively and stored them appropriately and had completed safeguarding training and knew how to report abuse and were confident to do so.

Leaders made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services and ensured there were enough skilled staff on duty to meet people’s needs and call bells were responded to quickly.

On where improvements could still be made, inspectors said the home ‘had limited activities in the morning’.

Relatives also said more should be done in the garden and management said an activities coordinator was being recruited to ensure a more consistent timetable of activities throughout the day so everyone could take part.

Megan Tranter, chief operating officer at the home, said: “This outcome reflects relentless hard work, discipline and professionalism from the entire staff team.

"It also demonstrates the provider’s unwavering commitment to delivering safe, compassionate and high quality care for every resident who lives at Forest Manor.

“The transformation followed decisive action.

"New leadership was appointed, a new clinical team was embedded, robust systems were introduced, policies and procedures were fully overhauled, clinical oversight was strengthened, governance tightened and standards were reset and held without exception

"The positive impact of these changes is now formally evidenced by the CQC.

This result matters because it improves lives.

“Residents experience safer care, stronger clinical leadership and greater dignity.

“Families experience trust and confidence and staff work within clear frameworks aligned with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 Regulations, CQC Fundamental Standards and NICE guidance.

"We extend sincere thanks to our staff, whose commitment never faltered.

"We thank residents and relatives for their trust and patience during change.

"We also thank the Local Authority and the Integrated Care Board for their support, challenge and belief in the home’s values and vision.

"Forest Manor stands proud of this achievement.

"The focus now remains on sustaining improvement, driving excellence and delivering the standard of care our residents deserve.”

Greg Rielly, CQC’s deputy director of adult social care in the East Midlands, said: “When we inspected Forest Manor Care Home, we found significant improvements had been made and people now received safe treatment and person-centred care.

“People were empowered to maintain their independence and spoke fondly of the kindness and knowledge of staff and managers.

“During our inspection, we saw positive interactions between staff and people living at Forest Manor.

"The home had a warm and friendly atmosphere, and staff were cheerful, approachable and responsive to people’s needs.

“People’s individuality and likes were respected.

"We saw people's bedrooms had been personalised how they liked and it was clear staff knew them well.

"This ranged from how they liked to be supported to what films they liked to watch.

“Records we saw confirmed that people received appropriate care interventions when needed.

“However, managers didn’t always detect and control potential risks in the home, such as exposed hot radiator pipes, which could lead to burns.

"However, immediate action was taken by staff to mitigate these risks when we flagged them during our inspection.

“Overall, leaders and staff should be proud of the changes and the culture they have implemented.

"Leaders and staff are now in a good position to maintain these improvements to the continued benefits of the people they care for.”