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At Applecross, we deeply value the feedback of our residents, their families, and visitors. Your insights are essential in helping us enhance our services, ensuring that we provide the highest level of care, comfort, and support for our residents.

If you’ve visited or have a loved one staying with us, we would truly appreciate it if you could take a few moments to share your experience on Carehome.co.uk. By leaving a review, you’re not only helping us continue to improve, but you’re also making a meaningful impact for families who may be seeking a safe and welcoming home for their loved ones.

Every review contributes to a clearer picture of our community here and reflects the dedication, warmth, and expertise of our care team. Positive feedback inspires us, while constructive suggestions guide us in refining our services to meet and exceed expectations.

Why Reviews Matter
Reviews help others learn about the quality of life at our home, the compassion of our staff, and the supportive environment we work hard to create every day. They also provide new families with reassurance and insight as they make important care decisions for their loved ones.

Thank you for helping us make a difference in the lives of our residents and the families who trust us with their care. Your voice matters, and we’re grateful for your support.

Applecross Nursing Home is registered to provide a care home service to a maximum of 82 people. This is comprised of 60 places for young physically disabled adults and 22 places for older people.

The provider is Applecross Nursing Home Limited, a family-owned company with Applecross Nursing Home as their sole service. The home supports people who live with a wide range of support needs, examples include; physical disability, mental health, learning disability, dementia, and frail elderly.

The older people’s service is based in a historic house with a modern extension over three floors, providing accommodation for the younger physically disabled people.

All rooms are single bedrooms. In the modern building, all rooms have en-suite facilities with showers. Some rooms in the older part of the building have to share bathrooms. Each unit has shared bathrooms and a resident’s lounge with adjacent dining area, also used for group activities.

The home has an accessiblegarden for residents’ and relatives’ use.

Applecross Nursing home is based in Hurlet in Glasgow, the building sits in private grounds down a privatelane off a main road. At the time of this inspection there were 79 people staying in the home

This was an unannounced inspection which took place from 10 to 12 June 2024. The inspection was carried out by two inspectors from the Care Inspectorate. To prepare for the inspection, we reviewed information about this service. This included previous inspection findings, registration information.  Information submitted by the service and intelligence gathered since the last inspection. In making our evaluations of the service we:

• Spoke with nine people using the service and one of their family.
• Spoke with 15 staff and management.
• Observed practice and daily life.
• Reviewed documents.

We also used responses received on electronic surveys as part of our evaluation. We received responses
from:

• 36 people using the service
• 39 family carers or friends
• 71 members of staff
• And 10 visiting professionals.

A multidisciplinary staff team supported people to have their health needs met.  The home had a strong focus on training and supporting the staff team with learning and development. Good monitoring systems and self-assessment systems supported leaders to plan improvements and shape the future of the service.
People were engaged in their community where possible. The staff team felt well supported by leadership and were enthusiastic about their jobs.

We found significant strengths in aspects of the care provided and these supported positive outcomes for people, therefore we evaluated this key question as very good. Quality Indicator 3.2 Staff have the right knowledge, competence and development to care for and support people

We reviewed recruitment files for recently recruited staff and found that these followed best practice guidance. Following recruitment there was a thorough induction programme that had to be completed and signed off by a supervisor. This included reflective activities and checking of understanding as well as completed both online and face to face training. This meant that people were supported by a staff team who were recruited safely and monitored in the early stages to ensure they carried out their tasks appropriately.

The provider placed great importance on training. One staff member had overall responsibility for devising training schedules and ensuring that the team were up to date with mandatory training. This role had developed over the previous year and staff members told us they had noticed that they were receiving more
training and a good standard of support for their learning. Staff were well trained including training on health conditions, specific to the needs of individuals living in the home. This ensured that staff members had the knowledge they needed to provide good quality care to everyone resident in the home. The home used a recognised tool to assess the staffing numbers required to provide care for people. This ensured that staffing numbers were suitable to meet the needs of residents and people were supported in an unhurried way. The recent appointment of befrienders should further enhance the staff team’s ability to provide bespoke support to meet residents’ social needs, their outcomes and aspirations. Staff numbers were increased to support people when they needed extra support such as at the end of life care or those who needed more support with eating, which ensured that care was responsive to people’s changes needs.

Staff told us that the whole team were really supportive and work well together, including the management team who are visible on the floor.

We found significant strengths in aspects of the care provided, supporting positive outcomes for people. Therefore, we evaluated this key question as very good.

Quality Indicator 1.3: People’s health and wellbeing benefits from their care and support

The home employed a multidisciplinary staff team, including nurses, a physiotherapist, and an occupational therapist. This team ensured that personal plans included thorough assessments of people’s health needs. Referrals were made to other professionals when required, including speech and language therapists, and there was effective use of communication support tools in the home. All elements of people’s needs were considered, including their physical, wellbeing, and communication support needs. Robust quality assurance systems were in place, ensuring that plans were reviewed and monitored regularly to reflect people’s needs.

Medication recording was managed well, and the system alerted the clinical lead to any issues or missed medications. The clinical lead could use this information to assess if medication reviews were necessary. The home practiced safe moving and assisting, supported by in-house training and monitored regularly. Staff were observed and provided feedback on performance to ensure they could meet high standards of care and support.

People were encouraged to direct aspects of their own care where possible. There were excellent examples of people receiving personalized care, including choosing their preferred support team. One resident remarked, “The staff couldn’t do any more for you,” and family members reported satisfaction with the care provided. This ensured that people received the right level of care to meet their needs.

The home employed activities workers and recently added two befriender roles. Residents noticed the positive impact of the expanded team, enjoying a wide range of activities both in the home and the community. Individuals attended events such as the cinema, museums, and nightclubs, while activities in the home included regular chair exercises and opportunities to use outdoor spaces, meeting residents’ needs for stimulation and social interaction.

End-of-life care was managed in line with the needs and wishes of the person and their family. Anticipatory care plans were in place for those who wished to discuss end-of-life care in advance, supported by booklets for these conversations. When people reached the end of life, the management team revisited these discussions to ensure care aligned with their wishes.

Staff understood how to support people lacking capacity to make decisions, with appropriate support for decision-making, including proxy decision-making where legal powers were in place.

The service balanced people’s rights and safety, with a positive approach to managing risks. Systems were in place to monitor care, including checks on pressure ulcers, falls, and medication, demonstrating the home’s success in maintaining people’s health. Monitoring systems also helped detect and address any emerging issues.

People benefited from access to a tasty, varied, and well-balanced diet, with meals, snacks, and drinks reflecting cultural and dietary preferences. Staff shared information when changes in eating or drinking habits were noticed. Although a few residents suggested larger portions or more variety, most expressed satisfaction with the meals. Residents enjoyed their meals in a relaxed atmosphere, with a wide range of aids and appropriate support to meet their needs. Adjustments to staffing also provided additional support for eating, ensuring residents were supported to eat well with options that suited them.

“Our aim is to continuously enhance our care performance and ratings by actively listening to feedback, refining our services, and striving for excellence. At Applecross the team are committed to providing outstanding support, understanding the needs of those we serve, and constantly improving to deliver the best outcomes possible.”

John Murray