This inspection took place on 4 January 2017 and was unannounced.Henry Cornish Care Centre is a residential home that provides accommodation for 36 older adults. In addition to the 36 residential beds there are 14 Intermediate Care beds (ICU). The intermediate care services are provided to people to help them in rehabilitation and to be as independent as possible following discharge from hospitals. At the time of the inspection, there were 47 people living at the service and 14 of these were on the ICU.
There was a new manager in post who had been in post for one day and told us they would be applying to become the registered manager for the service with the Care Quality Commission. 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. The manager worked closely with the deputy manager and area operations manager.
Leadership within the service was well structured, open and transparent at all levels and promoted strong organisational values. This resulted in a caring culture that put people using the service at the centre. People, staff and healthcare professionals were complimentary about the management team and how the service was run.
The provider did not always maintain confidentiality. People’s care records were left in their rooms accessible to anyone. This was general practice in the home without consulting people on their preferences. However, the provider took immediate actions to address these concerns when they were raised.
People who were living at the service told us they felt safe. The staff had a clear understanding of how to safeguard people and protect their health and well-being. People received their medicines as prescribed. There were systems in place to manage safe administration and storage of medicines.
People had a range of individualised risk assessments in place to keep them safe and to help them maintain their independence. Where risks to people had been identified, risk assessments were in place and action had been taken to manage the risks. The service promoted positive risk taking. Staff were aware of people’s needs and followed the guidance in care plans to keep them safe.
There were enough suitably qualified and experienced staff to meet people needs. The provider had robust recruitment procedures and conducted background checks to ensure staff were suitable for their roles.
Staff received adequate training and support to carry out their roles effectively. People felt supported by competent staff. Staff benefitted from regular supervision (one to one meetings with their line manager) and yearly professional development reviews (PDR) to help them meet the needs of the people they cared for.
The management team and staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and applied its principles in their work. Where people were thought to lack capacity to make certain decisions, assessments had been completed in line with the principles of MCA. The management team and staff understood their responsibilities under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS); these provide legal safeguards for people who may be deprived of their liberty for their own safety.
People benefited from a pleasant dining experience and their nutritional needs were met. A variety of meal choices was available and people received their meals in a timely manner. Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respect and promoted people’s independence and right to privacy. People received good care that was personalised to meet their individual needs.
People were supported to maintain their health and were referred for specialist advice as required. Where people had received end of life care, staff had taken actions to ensure people would have as dignified and comfortable death as possible. The service facilitated reflective sessions with people and staff following deaths to celebrate and remember that particular person.
Staff supported and encouraged people to engage with a variety of activities and entertainments available within the service. Activities were structured to people's interests and people chose what activities they wanted to do. Activities were also discussed during residents and relatives meeting to allow a wider variety. The environment was designed to enable people to move freely around the service.
The provider looked for ways to continually improve the quality of the care provided. Feedback on the quality of care was sought from people and their relatives and used to make changes and improve the quality of care. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints were managed in accordance with the provider’s complaints policy. The service received many compliments. The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place.
The management team informed us of all notifiable incidents. They had a clear plan to develop and further improve the service.