Castle House

Updated 18 May 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 22 January 2021 and was unannounced.

Updated 18 May 2021

About the service

Castle House is a residential care home providing personal care and support to 25 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 33 people.

Castle house is a large detached adapted house in the town of Torrington. It has bedrooms on two floors with access via a passenger lift and stair lift to some areas. The communal areas such as lounge and dining rooms are all on the ground floor

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

People said they felt safe and well cared for. People enjoyed living at Castle House. Most people were local to the area and enjoyed the fact they could still see friends and family and visit the market town they were familiar with. One person said “I wouldn’t want to live anywhere else. This is a lovely home and its near to my family.”

People were well cared for by a staff team who understood their needs, wishes and preferred routines. Staff were trained and supported to do their job safely and effectively. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs in a timely way. One person said, “We have been a bit short staffed, but no one has suffered. The staff work very hard and are really good.”

Medicines were being safely managed. People received their medicines as prescribed, but the recording of medicines administration was not always consistent. Following feedback, the registered manager addressed this quickly so recording was robust and in line with best practice.

People were protected from abuse because staff had training to understand who and when to report any concerns to. Robust recruitment processes ensured only staff who were suitable to work with people who may be vulnerable were employed.

People’s healthcare needs were being well met. The service worked in partnership with other healthcare professionals to achieve good outcomes for people. This included good food and fluid intake.People said they enjoyed the meals, drinks and snacks being offered. Mealtimes were relaxed and seen as a social occasion.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s needs. Improvements had been made to ensure people had activities in line with their wishes. This had included more opportunities to access the local community.

Care and support was being well planned and where possible people and their family were involved in the development and review of their care plans. Risks were being identified, assessed and monitored in line with best practice.

People, relative and staff views were asked for and acted upon.

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.

There were quality assurance processes in place to review and improve the care and support being delivered. This helped to ensure good outcomes for people.

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 good (last report published July 2017)

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.