Springfield House Care Home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 50 people, including some people who were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 50 people living at Springfield House Care Home.This inspection took place on 19 May 2016 and was unannounced. This meant the provider did not know we would be visiting. A second day of the inspection took place on 24 May 2016 and was announced. We last inspected the service in May 2014 and found the provider was meeting the regulations we inspected against at that time.
The home had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The home had a friendly relaxed atmosphere; we observed people living at the home were happy and comfortable in the company of all staff.
People and relatives were complimentary about the care and support provided. A health care professional told us, “Staff genuinely care for people, its lovely.”
Staff had a clear understanding of how to safeguard people and were able to describe the signs of potential abuse, and the actions they would take if they had concerns about a person’s safety or treatment.
The provider had an effective recruitment procedure in place. Appropriate checks were conducted prior to new staff commencing work.
People and relatives told us there were enough appropriately skilled staff available. The registered manager reviewed staffing levels to ensure people’s needs were met.
The provider had a thorough business continuity plan in place to ensure people would continue to receive care following an emergency.
Where risks were identified they were assessed and managed to minimise the risk to people who used the service and others.
Medicines records we viewed were complete and up to date. This included records for the receipt, return and administration of medicines.
The provider had a programme for the maintenance of the premises to ensure the interior remained at a high standard of appearance. The premises had been adapted to support those living with dementia.
People were provided with a choice of healthy food and drinks to help ensure that their nutritional needs were met.
People were supported to make decisions about their care and support and staff obtained their consent before support was delivered. Where people had no family or personal representative we saw the service assisted people to obtain support from an advocacy service.
Relatives and people told us staff were kind, thoughtful and caring. We observed many positive interactions between staff and people living at the home.
The provider had an extensive activities programme which was built around people’s interests. The home had researched stimulating activities for those living with dementia. People were supported to maintain links to their local community.
The home had developed good working relationships with external health care professionals visiting the service. We saw evidence in care plans of co-operation between care staff and healthcare professionals including, occupational therapists, nurses and GPs.
People were treated with dignity and respect. Staff had a sound knowledge of the people they supported, and their likes and dislikes.
Care plans reflected people’s individual needs. People, relatives and health care professionals were involved in regular reviews.
The provider had clear visions and values, placing people at the centre. The registered manager and care manager researched a number of initiatives to improve the quality of people's care.
Feedback was sought from people, relatives and staff in order to monitor and improve standards.