Archived: Edendale Care Home

Updated 27 May 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on the 07 April 2017. This visit was unannounced, which meant the provider and staff did not know we were coming. The inspection was carried out by an inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who used this type of service.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the home. We looked at the providers’ action plan. We considered information which had been shared with us by the local authority and looked at safeguarding alerts that had been made and notifications which had been submitted. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. The provider had completed a provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what they do well and any improvements they plan to make. Before the inspection we spoke with the Local Authority and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to ask them about their experiences of the service provided to people.

We observed care in the communal areas and over the three floors of the home. We spoke with people and staff, and observed how people were supported during their lunch. Some people were unable to speak with us. Therefore we used other methods to help us understand their experiences. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) during the morning in the communal lounge. SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We spoke with the registered manager, the cook, domestic and three care staff.

We spent time looking at records, including three people’s care records, two staff files and other records relating to the management of the home, such as complaints and accident / incident recording and audit documentation.

Updated 27 May 2017

This inspection took place on the 20 April 2017and was unannounced. Edendale Care Home is a care home for up to 12 older people that require support and personal care and who live with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 10 people living in the home. The service is owned by Belmont Sandbanks Limited and is located in St Leonards on Sea, East Sussex. The registration for the service has recently changed from 27 beds to twelve.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good and met all relevant fundamental standards.

Staff knew how to recognise signs of abuse and how to raise an alert if they had any concerns. Risk assessments were centred on the needs of the individual. Each risk assessment included clear measures to reduce identified risks and guidance for staff to follow or make sure people were protected from harm. Accidents and incidents were recorded and monitored to identify how the risks of recurrence could be reduced.

Medicines were stored, administered, recorded and disposed of safely and correctly. Staff were trained in the safe administration of medicines and kept relevant records that were accurate.

There was a sufficient number of staff deployed to meet people’s needs. Staff received essential training, additional training relevant to people’s individual needs, and regular one to one supervision sessions. Thorough recruitment procedures were in place to ensure staff were of suitable character to carry out their role.

Staff knew each person well and understood how to meet their support and communication needs. Staff communicated effectively with people and treated them with kindness and respect. People were supported to have choice and their independence was promoted by staff who understood the needs of older people and of those living with dementia. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The staff provided meals that were in sufficient quantity and met people’s needs and choices. People told us they enjoyed the food. Staff knew about and provided for people’s dietary preferences and restrictions.

People were promptly referred to health care professionals when needed. Personal records included people’s individual plans of care, life history, likes and dislikes and preferred activities. These records help staff deliver care that met people’s individual needs. The activities provided were suitable for people living with dementia.

The provider and the management team were open and transparent in their approach. They placed emphasis on continuous improvement of the service. There was a system of monitoring checks and audits to identify any improvements that needed to be made. The management team acted on the results of these checks to improve the quality of the service and care.

Further information is in the detailed findings below