This inspection took place on 5 and 7 May 2015 and was unannounced. At our previous inspection 02 April 2013, we found the provider was meeting the regulations in relation to outcomes we inspected.
Burrell Mead is a care home that provides accommodation for up to 22 older people. At the time of this inspection the home was providing care and support to 21 people. The home 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
During our inspection we a found breach of a Regulation of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 in respect of person-centred care. We found that people’s care and support needs had been assessed however there were no appropriate guidelines in place for staff on how they should support people to meet these needs.
People using the service told us that they felt safe and that staff treated them well. Safeguarding adult’s procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported. The manager demonstrated a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work.
People and their relatives, where appropriate, had been involved in planning for their care needs. Medicines were managed safely. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to health care support. They had hospital passports that contained information about them for transferring to hospital. They received appropriate end of life care and support. When necessary additional support was provided to the home by a local hospice end of life care team. People were being supported to have a balanced diet.
The home had a well-established staff team. People said the home was well managed and staff worked as a team. They said their privacy and dignity was respected. They knew about the home’s complaints procedure and said they were confident their complaints would be fully investigated and action taken if necessary. There was a range of appropriate activities available to people using the service to enjoy.
People were provided with information about the home and they were aware of the services and facilities available to them. There were regular residents and relatives meetings where people could to talk to the manager about the home and things that were important to them. The provider took into account the views of people using the service and their relatives through meetings and surveys. The results were analysed and action was taken to make improvements for people at the home. Managers regularly attended provider forums run by the local authority. They had gained some useful learning from these events and put these into practice at the home.
Staff said they enjoyed working at the home. They received plenty of training and good support from the manager. There was an out of hours on call system in operation that ensured that management support and advice was always available when they needed it. There was a whistle-blowing procedure available and staff said they would use it if they needed to.