15 April 2019
During a routine inspection
Vera James House is a residential care home that was providing personal care to 32 older people at the time of this inspection.
People’s experience of using this service:
People we met and spoke with were happy with the care home and the staff that provided their care. A visitor told us that the home was, “Overall really good.”
People felt safe living at the home because staff knew what they were doing, they had been trained and cared for people in the way people wanted. Risks in the home were assessed and reduced as much as possible. There were enough staff, and the registered manager also spoke with people regularly. Key recruitment checks were obtained before new staff started work.
People received their medicines and staff knew how these should be given. Medicine records were completed accurately and with enough detail. Staff supported people with meals and drinks. They used protective equipment, such as gloves and aprons. Staff followed advice from health care professionals and made sure they asked people’s consent before caring for them.
People liked the staff that cared for them. Staff were kind and caring, they involved people in their care and made sure people’s privacy was respected. Staff worked well together, they understood the home’s aim to deliver high quality care, which helped people to continue to live as independently as possible.
Staff kept care records up to date and included national guidance if relevant. Complaints were dealt with and resolved quickly.
Systems to monitor how well the home was running were carried out well. Where concerns were identified, the registered manager followed this up to make sure action was taken to rectify the issue. Changes were made where issues had occurred elsewhere, so that the risk of a similar incident occurring again was reduced. People were asked their view of the home and action was taken to change any areas they were not happy with.
Rating at last inspection: Requires Improvement (last report published 25 April 2018)
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as scheduled in our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk