14 May 2012
During a routine inspection
Accommodation within the home was provided on three separate floors, each of which had their own communal areas. We spent time on each floor of the home. The people we spoke with were generally positive about the care that they received. Staff we spoke with were able to describe the steps that should be taken to promote dignity and respect, although our observations indicated that some staff did not always put these into practice.
We found that the majority of people using the service had been assessed prior to their moving in, and that a range of care plans had been developed for each person using the service. However, the care plans we saw lacked personalisation and information relating to the particular person's likes and dislikes and personal preferences. The care plans we saw had been regularly reviewed, but were not always updated with the most current information which could have an impact upon the quality of care that people receive. We also found that guidance in the care plan for support with activities such as eating was not always followed which could put the person requiring support at risk.
The home's activities co-ordinator post was vacant at the time of our inspection and we found that activities scheduled for the day of our visit did not occur. Records we saw showed that people were supported to access appropriate community health services. People who use the service were protected from the risk of abuse because the provider had taken reasonable steps to identify the risk of abuse and prevent it from happening.
Our discussions with staff, observations of care and examination of training records indicated that core training was not being regularly provided to all staff. We were concerned that this affected the quality of care provided to people who use the service.
The provider did regularly ask people who use the service for their feedback, but this information was not available for us to look at during our visit. We also found that some audits had been inaccurately completed and key information regarding falls and care of pressure areas had not been recorded. Some incidents that occurred within the home that the provider is required to report to the Care Quality Commission had not been notified. We did find that accidents and incidents were recorded and that other key health and safety measures had been taken. However, potential risks identified in people's care plans had not routinely been assessed or a management plan developed. We were concerned that people using the service were not being protected from potential risks associated with providing their care.