Olive House Home for Older People

Updated 13 June 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 4 inspectors (which included a medicines inspector).

Service and service type

Olive House Home for Older People is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Olive House Home for Older People is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. However, the registered manager was on annual leave at the time of inspection.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 5 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff, including the assistant care managers, the senior operations manager, care workers and the activities coordinator. During the inspection, we visited both floors of the home and we reviewed a range of records. This included reviewing 4 people's care records in detail. During the inspection we also looked at 9 people's medicines records, storage of medicines and various medicines documentation. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

Updated 13 June 2023

About the service

Olive House Home for Older People is a care home providing accommodation for persons who require personal care for up to 44 people. The service provides support to older people and younger adults who are living with physical disabilities, dementia, or mental health. At the time of our inspection there were 29 people using the service. The home accommodates people across 2 floors in one building.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Risks were not always managed safely. Infection control practices were not always safe. Medicines storage needed assessing. We made a recommendation about this. People were safeguarded from risk of abuse and people felt safe. Adequate staffing was in place, and although recruitment practices were safe, records relating to recruitment needed improving. We reviewed some examples of lessons learned, though work was needed to strengthen this.

Staff supervisions were not happening in line with the provider's policy, the provider had put a plan in place to address this over the next 3 months. Appropriate staff training was in place and people were supported with food and fluid intake, though records relating to this was not always completed. People’s needs were assessed, and people were supported with their health care needs. Although some adaptations had been made to the home to meet the needs of the people living there, further improvements were needed.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice, though we found that people who lacked capacity did not always have the appropriate paperwork in place to support restrictions in place. We made a recommendation about this.

Equality and diversity was respected and staff completed training in this area. People’s privacy and dignity was respected, and records were securely stored. Staff were kind and people were able to express their views.

Complaints were not always handled in line with the homes policy. Records were not always person centred. People told us they were involved in their care planning, and they were able to make everyday choices. Records relating to people’s communication needs required more detail. An activities coordinator supported people to take part in activities and people were supported to have visits from loved ones. The service was not supporting anyone who was end of life at the time of the inspection.

Shortfalls in governance were identified during the inspection. This included poor recording and ineffective audits. Necessary information was being sent to the local authority and CQC. The management team was aware of their responsibility under the duty of candour and spoke about being honest when things go wrong. People and staff spoke positively about the management and the service worked in partnership with the local authority and various health teams. Meetings with staff, people and their relatives were taking place and some surveys had been carried out.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (12 September 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and concerns shared about a mental health unit that had opened since our last inspection, medicines management and general concerns over the management of the service. On arrival to the service, we were informed the mental health unit was in the process of closing.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Olive House Home for Older People on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to risk, infection control, staff supervisions, complaints and governance at this inspection. We have also made recommendations relating to medicines and depriving people of their liberty.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.