Cameron House Care Home

Updated 10 May 2022

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 completed by one inspector. An Expert by Experience made phone calls to people’s relatives to gain their views. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Cameron House 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. Cameron House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last focused inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with three people who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eleven members of staff including the registered manager, the regional operations manager, the regional director, the deputy manager, nurse, senior care staff, care staff, domestic staff and the assistant chef. We made observations throughout the inspection to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including quality assurance audits were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training information and quality assurance records and policies and procedures. The Expert by Experience telephoned 12 relatives about their experience of the care provided at Cameron House.

Updated 10 May 2022

About the service

Cameron House Care Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 33 older people, some of whom were living with dementia at the time of the inspection. The service is registered to support up to 40 people.

The home has two floors which supports a mixture of people with residential and nursing needs. There is a large communal lounge and dining area, a smaller lounge, with a conservatory and an accessible garden. All bedrooms are single occupancy.

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

People and their relatives felt Cameron House was a safe place to live. Risks people may face had been identified and steps identified to manage these risks were in place. We have made a recommendation for staff to follow government guidance for using personal protective equipment (PPE). People received their medicines as prescribed. A plan was in place to improve the protocols for when people needed an as required medicine. A recording system was introduced during the inspection when thickeners were used to reduce the risk of choking.

There were times when staff were not visible in the lounge area, especially when the activities organiser was not on duty. The manager said staffing levels would be reviewed immediately. Staff were safely recruited and received the training and support to carry out their roles.

People were supported to maintain their nutrition, hydration and health. Improvements had been made in oral care. 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 and relatives said the staff were kind and caring. We observed positive interactions throughout our inspection. Staff said they enjoyed working at Cameron House and felt well supported by their colleagues and the management team.

A quality assurance system was in place, including audits carried out by the regional operations manager and director. Action plans were written and signed off when completed. All incidents and accidents were reviewed to reduce the risk of a reoccurrence. Complaints were responded to appropriately.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 23 May 2020 and this was the first comprehensive inspection. A focused inspection (published 18 February 2021) gave the safe and well led domains a good rating. A rating was not given for the whole service as we did not look at all five domains at this inspection.

The last rating for Cameron House under the previous provider was requires improvement (Published 20 November 2019).

Why we inspected

This was the first comprehensive inspection and was carried out to provide Cameron House with an overall rating.

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.

Recommendations

We have made a recommendation about staff following the current government guidance for the use of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.