This inspection was conducted on the 8 July 2015 and was unannounced. The Old Vicarage Residential Home is a care home that does not provide nursing care. People’s nursing care needs were being met by the district nursing team through the GP practice. The home can accommodate up to 37 people. At the time of our inspection there were 31 people living in the home with six vacancies. The service supports older people who may live with a dementia.
The home has three double rooms and 31 single rooms, some have ensuites. The double rooms have screening available to give the occupants privacy.
People can move freely around the home and the secure garden to the rear of the property. There was level access to the property and lifts to the first and second floor. There was a key code fitted to the entrance to the home.
There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider.
The previous inspection was completed in July 2014 and there were no breaches in regulations. However, there were some areas where the service needed to improve. This included ensuring there was a registered manager, call bells to be accessible and improving the documentation where decisions were made in people’s best interest. We also asked the provider to ensure the signage in the home was appropriate for people who have a diagnosis of dementia, to assist them moving independently around their home. Improvements in these areas had been made.
People were receiving care that was effective and responsive to their changing needs. Care plans were in place that described how the person would like to be supported and these were kept under review. However, two people did not have a care plan in place to guide staff in all areas of their care. This was because they were relatively new to the home. This was rectified within 48 hours and copies of the care plans were forwarded to us electronically.
People’s medicines were managed safely. People were protected against abuse because staff had received training on safeguarding adults and they knew what to do if an allegation of abuse was raised. Newly appointed staff underwent a thorough recruitment process before commencing work with people.
People received a safe service because risks to their health and safety were being well managed. Staff were aware of the potential risks to people and the action they should take to minimise these.
People had access to healthcare professionals when they became unwell or required specialist help. They were encouraged to be independent and were encouraged to participate in activities both in the home and the local community.
People were treated in a dignified, caring manner which demonstrated that their rights were protected. People confirmed their involvement in decisions about their care. Where people lacked the capacity to make choices and decisions, staff ensured people’s rights were protected. This was done through involving relatives or other professionals in the decision making process.
Staff were knowledgeable about the people they were supporting and spoke about them in a caring way. Staff had received suitable training enabling them to deliver safe and effective care.
The service was well led. The team was supported by the registered manager and the provider. Staff confirmed they received support and guidance from the management of the service. Checks were being completed on the quality of the service, with action plans being implemented to aid improvement.