25 September 2017
During a routine inspection
The Manor House is a purpose built 76 bedded care home located in Barnard Castle, near to a range of local facilities. The home has two floors and is divided into three units. The first floor providing residential care, Chesters providing care for people who may be living with a dementia and Teesdale providing residential care. At the time of our inspection 69 people were using the service.
At the last inspection in December 2015 the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
At the last inspection we identified a breach of regulation in relation to medicines management. We took action by requiring the provider to send us a plan setting out how they would improve this. When we returned for our latest inspection we saw that improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of regulation.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are 'registered persons'. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us staff at the service kept them safe. Medicines were managed safely. Risks to people were assessed and action taken to mitigate the risks to people’s health, safety and welfare. Policies and procedures were in place to safeguard people from abuse. The manager and provider monitored staffing levels to ensure they were sufficient to support people safely. The provider’s recruitment processes minimised the risk of unsuitable staff being employed.
People told us staff had the knowledge and skills needed to provide the support they wanted. Staff received the training they needed to support people effectively. Regular supervisions and appraisals were carried out to support staff in their roles. 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. People were supported to maintain a healthy diet. People's care records showed details of appointments with, and visits by, health and social care professionals.
People and their relatives described staff as kind and caring and spoke positively about the support they received at the service. Staff supported people to maintain their independence. People and their relatives told us staff treated them with respect and protected their dignity. We saw numerous examples of staff delivering kind and caring support during our visit. Policies and procedures were in place to support people to access advocacy services and end of life care.
People received personalised care that was regularly reviewed. People were supported to access activities they enjoyed. Policies and procedures were in place to investigate and respond to complaints.
People described the service as well-led, and spoke positively about its culture and values. Staff said they were proud to work at the service and felt it provided excellent care and support. The manager and provider carried out a number of quality assurance checks and audits to monitor and improve standards at the service. Feedback was sought from people, their relatives and staff. People were encouraged and supported to maintain links with the wider community. The manager had informed CQC of significant events in a timely way by submitting the required notifications. This meant we could check that appropriate action had been taken.