Newland House

Updated 26 July 2018

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 and to look at the overall quality of the service.

This inspection took place on 19 June 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection, we asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). The provider had completed and submitted their PIR. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We also reviewed the information the Care Quality Commission (CQC) holds about the service. This included notifications of significant incidents and complaints reported to CQC since the last inspection. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally required to tell us about. This ensured we were addressing any areas of concern.

Throughout the day of our inspection we spent time observing care throughout the service. We spoke to five people and one relative. We also spoke with the registered manager, two care staff, one senior carer, activities co-ordinator, the maintenance person and the chef. We looked at five people's care records and three staff files including their training and supervision. We also viewed records relating to the running and management of the home.

Following the inspection, we also contacted four external health and social care professionals to obtain their views about the service. We also spoke to one more relative to gather additional feedback.

Updated 26 July 2018

We inspected this service on 19 June 2018. Newland House is a 30 bedded 'care home' registered to provide personal care to older people. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. On the day of our inspection there were 18 people living at the service.

At our last inspection in June 2017 we identified medicines were not always managed safely and that the records relating to the administration of medicines were not always consistently completed. We also found that systems for monitoring people's conditions where people had been assessed as at risk were not always effective. This was a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. We therefore asked the provider to submit an action plan telling us how they were going to address these concerns. We received the action plan within the timescales given that showed how the improvements had been made.

At this inspection we found the provider addressed the above concerns and the service improved to Good in Safe and Well-led domains and remained Good in Effective, Caring and Responsive. As a result, the service was rated Good overall.

The service was safe. People told us they were safe and staff knew how to identify, report and escalate safeguarding concerns. People’s files contained risk assessments relating to people’s well-being and any individual health conditions. Where an area of risk had been identified, a management plan was in place to guide how to keep the person safe. People were supported by sufficient number of safely recruited staff. Staff received good support and complimented the provision of training. People received their medicines safely and as prescribed.

There was a registered manager running the service who started working at the service just before our last inspection in June 2017. 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 provider’s quality assurance systems had improved. The registered manager analysed the audits and used the information to inform an ongoing action plan to ensure continuous improvement.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and report on what we find. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People’s rights to make own decisions were respected and we found the records surrounding people’s capacity improved and were in line with the Act.

People's care plans were up to date, current and gave clear guidance to staff on how people wished to be supported. People were supported to maintain a good nutrition and were offered suitable diet that met their dietary preferences.

People knew how to complain the complaints and concerns were managed appropriately. When required, the service worked with other professionals to ensure people had a comfortable, dignified and pain free death.

The team was caring and we found people’s individual needs, including equality and diversity needs were considered and respected. People’s dignity, privacy and confidentiality were maintained.