This inspection took place on 14 January 2015 and was unannounced. At the previous inspection in September 2013, we found that there were no breaches of legal requirements.
The Old Rectory Retirement Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 20 older people. There were 18 people living at the home at the time of inspection. The accommodation is over two floors. A stair lift had been provided for people to access both floors during the installation of a replacement shaft lift. There are two communal lounges, a dining room, conservatory and a garden with seating.
The home was run by a registered manager who was present on the day of our visit. 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 premises were not secure, as the inspector gained entry to the home, without being met by any staff. The provider told us that action had been taken to address this shortfall after our visit.
The provider had robust procedures in place to make sure that a variety of checks were carried out on staff, before they started work at the home.
People told us that they felt safe at The Old Rectory. Staff understood how to recognise abuse and to report their concerns so that swift action could be taken to keep people safe. There were procedures in place for managing risks in relation to individual people and the environment.
Staff stored and managed medicines safely, but a recommendation has been made about how to check that medicines are stored at the correct temperature.
People enjoyed their meals and said that they were offered choices about what they ate. People were assessed to identify if they were at risk of poor nutrition and action was taken to address this. People’s health care needs were assessed and appropriate referrals were made to health care professionals. A relative said that when their mother was ill, the staff had called the doctor, before they had had time to raise their concerns with the registered manager.
Staff had regular training so that they could gain the skills and knowledge that they required to meet people’s needs effectively. The provider had increased staffing levels in response to changes in people’s needs.
The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. Whilst no-one living at the home was currently subject to a DoLS, we found that the manager understood when an application should be made and how to submit one.
People said that the staff were kind, caring and compassionate, and visitors said that staff were patient and understanding. Staff knew people’s likes, dislikes and past histories, so that they could support them to make decisions and engage them in conversation about topics that they enjoyed.
People’s care, treatment and support needs were clearly identified in their plans of care. Guidance was in place for staff to follow to meet people’s needs and it included information about people’s choices and preferences.
An activities co-ordinator was employed to support people in a range of hobbies and activities. This included individual and group activities as well as arranging entertainment for the home.
People knew how to make a complaint, which the registered manager took seriously. The registered manager investigated and took action to rectify any minor niggles or more serious complaints.
The home was well led. Relatives and visitors told us that the registered manager and provider were visible, involved in their care and approachable. Staff understood the aims of the home, were motivated and had confidence in the management of the home. They said that there was good communication in the staff team and that it was a good place to work.
Systems were in place to review the quality of the service and included feedback from people who lived in the home and their relatives. The results of these surveys were that the majority of people were satisfied with the care provided at the home. Where there were shortfalls, the registered manager had taken swift action to address them.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010.
You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.