Background to this inspection
Updated
16 March 2022
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 care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.
This inspection took place on 22 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service one day's notice of the inspection.
Updated
16 March 2022
About the service
Whitby House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 28 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 40 people across two floors, each of which has separate adapted facilities.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Although there were sufficient staffing levels at Whitby House we received some feedback that people felt the home was understaffed at key times of the day. There had been a significant change in the needs of some of the people living at the home and the registered manager needed to ensure that people always receive timely care.
The home was clean and risk assessments were in place to identify and safely manage the needs of people, however we did find some issues that required improvement. We found evidence of toiletries not always being stored hygienically and also some rooms unlocked which should be kept locked for the health and safety reasons. These issues were addressed straightway when we raised them with the senior team and the registered manager.
Other systems were in place to ensure the safety and wellbeing of people. These included systems to protect people from the risk of abuse, receive their medicines safely and to ensure that people could share their views on the service being provided at Whitby House.
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. People were offered choices and involved in decision making relating their care and care plans contained sufficient person-centred information to meet people’s preferences.
People had access to healthcare and the registered manager worked closely with other agencies to ensure successful outcomes were achieved.
All people we spoke to during the inspection spoke positively about Whitby House and the care they received. Staff were described as caring and attentive to people’s needs.
Staff were committed to deliver a high standard of care. They were well trained and felt supported in their role.
There was a wide range of leisure activities available to people and staff worked hard to ensure people who were unable to get out of bed due to ill health were engaged in the activities on offer.
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 (published 26 May 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.