Montrose Hall

Updated 7 July 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Montrose Hall is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Montrose Hall is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection to discuss the safety of people, staff and inspector with reference to COVID-19.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine staff members including night staff, activities staff, the cook, deputy manager, area manager and district manager. We also spoke with five relatives. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 7 July 2022

About the service

Montrose Hall is a purpose built home providing personal care for up to 41 people, including people living with dementia. Accommodation is on two floors with lift access. Each floor has a main lounge with dining area and a second smaller lounge. At the time of the inspection 41 people were living at the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Staff protected people from abuse and understood how to recognise and report any concerns they had about people's safety and well-being. Staff assessed people's needs before they started using the service. People and relatives had been involved in the care planning process, and in identifying their support needs in partnership with staff.

Staff managed people's medicines safely. Infection control was managed well, and procedures were in place to prevent the spread of infections.

The provider followed safe recruitment processes to ensure the right people were employed. Staff training included an induction and ongoing training. There were enough staff to keep people safe.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff had formed genuine relationships with people, knew them well and were caring and respectful towards people and their wishes. Staff were dedicated to their roles and in supporting people to achieve their goals and aspirations.

Staff supported people to access healthcare professionals and receive ongoing healthcare support. Staff supported people to share their views and shape the future of the care they received. Care plans provided staff with the information they needed to meet people's needs.

Staff worked with other agencies to provide consistent, effective and timely care. We saw evidence staff and management worked with other organisations to meet people's assessed needs. The provider and manager followed governance systems which provided effective oversight and monitoring of the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service under the previous provider was outstanding (published 30 October 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Montrose Hall on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.