About the service Anchor House is a care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 23 people. It is situated on the outskirts of Doncaster in the area of Town Moor. Accommodation is provided on both ground and first floors. At the time of our inspection there were 22 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
The provider had a system in place to monitor the quality of service provided. Some concerns raised during the auditing process were identified, although some issues were not resolved. We found concerns with about the way health and safety issues of the building were managed. People's views were captured in residents’ meetings; however, an annual quality survey was available but had not been completed for about two years.
Medicines were administered in a safe way. Storage of medicines needed review as the medication room was often above the recommended temperature for storing medicines and the flooring required attention to make it safe. The home was clean and was in the process of redecoration. The registered manager was in the process of working through some actions from the last fire officer’s visit in readiness for reinspection later in February 2020.
The registered manager told us that the gas supply was serviced annually, however there was no gas safety certificate on site. However, this was sent to us following our inspection. The registered manager was also taking action following concerns which had been raised at the recent food hygiene inspection.
The provider had a system in place to ensure people were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Staff knew how recognise and report abuse. Risks associated with people's care had been identified and appropriately managed to ensure risks were minimised. Lessons were learned when things went wrong. The registered manager kept a record of accidents and incidents and made changes to practice, where appropriate.
People's needs were assessed, and care and support were delivered in line with people’s choices. People received a balanced and varied diet which met their needs and suited their preferences. Staff we spoke with told us they felt supported by the registered manager and said they received training and support to carry out their role effectively.
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.
We observed staff interacting with people and found them to be kind, caring and friendly. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity. There was a focus on people making choices and staff ensured preferences were adhered to. Staff worked together well as a team to ensure people were supported and their needs met.
Care plans were written in line with people's assessed needs and staff knew people very well. The provider had an activity co-ordinator who arranged activities and social stimulation. The provider had a system in place to monitor and deal with complaints. End of life care was documented in people's care plans as and when people felt able to discuss this. The registered manager and the deputy manager were both end of life care champions and had received training to support their role.
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 was requires improvement (published 20 February 2019). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do to improve.
At this inspection enough improvement had not been made or sustained and the provider was still in breach of regulations.
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
Enforcement
Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.