16 October 2023
During a routine inspection
Prince of Wales House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 49 people. The service provides support to people who may be living with dementia, in an adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 45 people using the service.
People’s experience of the service and what we found
People received an extremely caring and compassionate service. People were clearly central to their care and support and their views and preferences about how their care was provided was valued and listened to. People’s individual and diverse needs were identified, and care was shaped to ensure their support was tailored to them personally. A relative told us, “We couldn’t be happier with the care [family member] gets. The staff are always brilliant both with [them] and also us…the communication is superb … I cannot speak highly enough of the home and staff; I can honestly say I know [family member] is safe and well cared for.”
Without exception we received extremely positive feedback from people and relatives about the exceptional and compassionate care staff provided. People were supported to have their needs and preferences met which achieved good outcomes. A relative told us, “[Family member] enjoys the loving caring attitude towards [them].” Another relative said, “I am reassured when I leave the home knowing [family member] is loved and cared for.”
People had access to a range of creative activities which they could participate in, if they chose to. A relative said, “[Staff] certainly encourage people to join in activities, of which there seems to be many... [Family member] also had lots of trips out, which they love particularly to the seaside. The staff certainly go the extra mile. I would also like to commend their [social media] page, which is a lovely way to see what people have been doing, as [family member] usually forgotten by the time I see [them].”
The provider, management team and staff were a very cohesive team and knew the people they care for very well. This meant people were provided with high-quality person-centred care. People had access to varied and creative social activities which met their individual interests and reduced risks of isolation and boredom.
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 were trained to meet the needs of people and there were sufficient staff on duty. Staff were recruited in a safe way. The management team and staff were committed to providing an extremely high quality and compassionate service and understood their roles and responsibilities.
Systems were in place to reduce the risks of avoidable harm and abuse. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines when needed. The service was clean and hygienic, and the environment was suitable and accessible for the people using the service.
People were provided with enough food and drink and their nutritional and hydration needs were assessed and met. People had access to social and health care professionals, where required.
The provider and management team had effective systems in place to assess and monitor the service provided and continuously drive improvement. People’s views and comments, including concerns and complaints, were valued and used to improve 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 was Outstanding (published 12 December 2017).
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Prince of Wales House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. Prior to our inspection we had received concerns about the safeguarding processes in place. A decision was made for us to examine those risks. The provider had taken swift action and we were assured the systems in place were robust to reduce the risks of abuse.
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.
Follow Up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.