Dercliffe Care Home

Updated 10 March 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 17 February 2021 and was announced. We gave 24 hours' notice of the inspection due to restrictions in place during the COVID pandemic.

Updated 10 March 2021

We carried out an unannounced inspection of Dercliffe Care Home on 15 and 16 January 2018.

Dercliffe Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to a maximum of 32 people. At the time of the inspection there were 26 people accommodated in the home.

The last inspection was carried out on 15 and 16 September 2015. Whilst we rated the service as overall “Good”, we found there were shortfalls in the recruitment of new staff and noted not all notifications had been submitted to the Commission in a timely manner. Whilst we found all actions had been completed during this inspection, we made one recommendation in respect to the use of the medicines room. The overall rating of Dercliffe Care Home remains good.

People living in the home told us they felt safe and staff treated them well. People were supported by enough skilled staff. The registered manager monitored staffing levels to ensure people’s needs were met. Appropriate recruitment procedures were followed to ensure prospective staff were suitable to work in the home. Safeguarding adults’ procedures were in place and staff understood their responsibilities to safeguard people from abuse. Potential risks to people's safety and welfare had been assessed and preventive measures had been put in place where required.

People's medicines were managed appropriately. However, we recommended consideration was given to the multiple use of the medicines room.

Staff had the knowledge and skills required to meet people's individual needs effectively. They completed an induction programme when they started work and they were up to date with the provider's mandatory training. People were supported to make decisions about their care and staff sought people’s consent before they provided support. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. There were appropriate arrangements in place to support people to have a healthy diet. People had access to a GP and other health care professionals when they needed them.

Staff treated people in a respectful and dignified manner and people's privacy was respected. People living in the home had been consulted about their care needs and had been involved in the care planning process. We observed people were happy, comfortable and relaxed with staff. Care plans and risk assessments provided guidance for staff on how to meet people’s needs and preferences. There were established arrangements in place to ensure the care plans were reviewed and updated regularly.

The service was responsive to people’s individual needs and preferences. People were given the opportunity to participate in social activities both inside and outside the home. People had access to a complaints procedure and were confident any concerns would be taken seriously and acted upon.

Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and ensure people received safe and effective care. These included seeking and responding to feedback from people in relation to the standard of care.