Oakdene House

Glenholme Healthcare Ltd provides accommodation and care to up to 18 people with mental health needs. The home is made up of two adjoining houses Glenholme and Oakdean providing nine beds in each, with accessible office accommodation for staff on the ground floor. At the time of this inspection there were 13 people living in the service.

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

People told us that they were safe and received good care and support.

Recruitment processes and procedures were safe.

Risks identified with people’s health, medical and care needs had been assessed and documented with clear guidance on how to minimise the identified risk to keep people safe.

People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

Systems and processes were in place to keep people safe There were enough staff to meet people's needs.

The home was clean and odour free. There were increased infection control measures in response to the coronavirus outbreak. Staff received the training and support to carry out their role effectively. Support staff told us that they felt that the current management team were very supportive especially during the recent months of the pandemic.

There was a positive culture throughout the service which focused on providing care that was personalised.

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.

The provider had systems in place to monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided.

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

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection we rated this service good. The report was published on 11 November 2017.

Why we inspected

We carried out a focused inspection of this service on 9 April 2021. This report only covers our findings in relation to the key questions safe, effective and well led as we were mindful of the impact and added pressures of Covid-19 pandemic on the service.

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

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information, we may inspect sooner.

Glenholme Healthcare Ltd provides accommodation and care to up to 18 people with mental health needs. The home is made up of two adjoining houses Glenhome and Oakdean providing nine beds in each, with accessible office accommodation for staff on the ground floor. The care home is part of the Glenholme Health Care Group that provides the following range of services: Recovery and rehabilitation services for men with a history of Enduring mental illness, offending behaviour and substance misuse, and Recovery and rehabilitation for men and women with a history of enduring mental illness, Learning disability, and Asperger’s syndrome On the day of our visit there were 15 people living in the home.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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.

People told us they were very happy with the care and support they received. Staff working at the home demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences.

Staff told us they enjoyed working in the home and spoke positively about the culture and management of the service. Staff told us that they were encouraged to openly discuss any issues and had been supported with promotion opportunities within the service. Staff described management as supportive and confirmed they were able to raise issues and make suggestions about the way the service was provided.

The managers of the service provided good leadership and people using the service and staff told us they promoted high standards of care.

The service was safe and there were appropriate safeguards in place to help protect the people who lived there. People were able to make choices about the way in which they were supported and staff listened to them and knew their needs well. Staff had the training and support they needed. There was evidence that staff and managers at the home had been involved in reviewing and monitoring the quality of the service to drive improvement.

Recruitment practices were safe and relevant checks had been completed before staff worked at the home. People’s medicines were managed appropriately so they received them safely.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff to care for the number of people with complex needs in the home.

The service was meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards(DoLS). Appropriate mental capacity assessments and best interests decisions had been undertaken by relevant professionals. This ensured that any decisions were made in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act, DoLS and associated Codes of Practice.

Staff were caring and always ensured they treated people with dignity and respect.

People participated in a range of different social activities and were supported to attend health appointments. They also participated in shopping for the home and their own needs and were supported to maintain a healthy diet.

Although two people felt care could be improved, most people told us they were happy with the care they received. Comments included that staff were "lovely" and "I feel supported". Care was provided taking into account people's welfare and safety.

People told us they were happy with how their medicines were managed. Medicines were administered, stored and managed safely and appropriately.

Staff were appropriately checked before they commenced employment although these checks were not always kept up to date.

All the people we spoke with told us they were involved in how the service was run. Comments included "we are doing a new service user guide which we are inputting into." The provider undertook appropriate checks to monitor the quality of the service.