3 August 2015
During a routine inspection
We inspected this service on 3 August 2015. This was an unannounced inspection. This was the service’s first inspection under their registration as a new provider.
The service was registered to provide accommodation for up to 12 people. People who used the service had physical health needs and/or were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 12 people were using the service, but three of these people were being cared for in hospital.
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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. A care manager was also working at the service. They also planned to register with us.
We found that since the provider registered with us in October 2014, improvements had been made to the quality of care, but further improvements were required to ensure that the service was well-led and responded to people’s needs. Some improvements were also needed to ensure people were consistently safe.
Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were assessed and planned for. However, staff did not always organise themselves to ensure people were consistently protected from harm. Safety incidents were not always recorded and reported, so action could not always be taken to reduce the risk of further incidents occurring.
People were involved in planning their care and care records contained detailed information about people’s care preferences. However, people did not always receive their care in accordance with their care preferences.
Checks were in place to assess and monitor the quality of care, but improvements were needed to ensure these checks were effective and captured people’s views of their care.
People’s medicines were managed safely and people were protected from abuse because staff knew how to report suspected abuse. Checks were also completed to ensure staff were suitable to work with the people who used the service.
Staff had completed training that enabled them to meet people’s needs effectively and the development needs of the staff were monitored by the registered manager and care manager.
Staff sought people’s consent before they provided care and support. Some people who used the service were unable to make certain decisions about their care. In these circumstances the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) were followed.
People were supported to eat and drink and people’s health and wellbeing was monitored to ensure people stayed as well as they could be. Advice from health care professionals was sought promptly.
People were encouraged to make choices about their care and the staff respected the choices people made. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion and people’s dignity and privacy was promoted.
There was a positive and homely atmosphere at the service. People knew how to complain about their care if needed and the managers responded appropriately and openly to complaints.