Archived: White Gates Care Centre

Updated 2 February 2019

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection that took place on 3 December 2018.

The inspection was carried out by two inspectors, one specialist nurse advisor and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone living with dementia or who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection we reviewed records held by CQC which included notifications and any safeguarding concerns. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law. We also reviewed the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

At the inspection we spoke with 16 people and five relatives. We also observed the care that people received and how staff interacted with people. We spoke with nine staff during the day, including the registered manager and a regional manager. We reviewed care plans of 11 different people and the records relating to any accidents and incidents. We observed people’s medicines being given. We looked at mental capacity assessments and any applications made to deprive people of their liberty.

We looked at four staff recruitment files and evidence that all staff had up to date training and supervision.

We checked whether mandatory policies and procedures were in place and the documentation that showed whether regular monitoring of equipment and the premises was being done. We reviewed internal audits and responses to complaints to understand how well the service was being governed and managed.

We received feedback from two health and social care professionals.

Updated 2 February 2019

The inspection took place on 3 December 2018 and was unannounced.

White Gates is a nursing home that is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 51 people. At the time of our inspection there were 42 people living at the service, a number of whom were living with dementia.

At our last inspection we rated the service as good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and we did not identify, from our visit or ongoing monitoring, any serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People and their relatives told us they thought the service was safe. People’s risks were identified and staff acted to address any known risks. People’s medicines were stored and administered safely and infection control practices were followed. Staff understood how to protect people from harm and knew when to report any abuse.

Staffing levels were seen to be safe on the day, however we received feedback about people having to wait for care on some occasions. We have made a recommendation.

Appropriate recruitment checks were carried out to ensure staff were suitable to support people in the home. Staff received a comprehensive induction and ongoing training so that they could meet the needs of people who lived at the home.

People were supported to maintain good health and they had access to relevant healthcare professionals when they needed them. People benefitted from the way the staff worked with other services to ensure effective care and support. People had a varied and balanced diet to support their nutrition and health.

People’s consent was sought in line with the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act. Where people's liberty was restricted to keep them safe, the provider had followed the requirements of the Act, and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS), to ensure the person's rights were protected.

People were looked after by kind and caring staff who knew them well. People’s privacy and independence was promoted. Contact with families and friends was encouraged. We received positive feedback from people and their families about the service provided.

People were supported to make decisions about their day to day care, including taking part in any activities and with their meals. People were given opportunities to go on occasional outings.

Care for people at the end of their life was proactive and responsive. The service followed nationally recognised standards for end of life care.

Complaints were responded to in a timely way and outcomes agreed.

The provider showed a commitment to reviewing and maintaining a quality service. There were systems in place to monitor people’s care and evidence of improvements being made. Incidents were tracked and learning outcomes were identified. The manager ensured statutory notifications were sent as required. People living at the home also benefitted from the relationships the service had formed with local organisations.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.