Archived: Staverton House

Updated 23 August 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was completed by one inspector.

Service and service type

Staverton House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.

During the inspection-

We spoke with three people and six people’s relatives or visitors. In addition, we spoke with ten members of the staff team, either through formal interview or informal conversation. These included care and activities staff, the deputy manager, registered manager, and the provider. We looked at care plans for three people and records relating to people’s care, including daily notes and medicine administration charts. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 23 August 2019

About the service

Staverton House is a residential care home providing personal care to 17 people with dementia, aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 20 people.

People had access to shared living spaces, including lounges on both floors of the home and a large garden with seating areas. The home was on the same site as another home owned by the same provider. People had shower room en-suites and there were shared bathroom facilities.

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

We found different shortfalls when inspecting the key question, is the service safe? These related to learning from accidents and incidents, medicines management, staff recruitment, and record keeping for water temperatures.

The registered manager responded to our feedback around areas identified for improvement, with immediate action. They planned an investigation, weekly checks and an action plan for the improvements needed in medicine’s management.

We received consistently positive feedback from people’s relatives about the home. People’s relatives praised staff for their kind and caring approach and for always being patient.

There was good community engagement and the home were planning their second fete and dog show. Funds raised contributed to the activities budget, a juke box, and trips out of the home. This had included the local Armed Forces Day celebrations and the ‘festival of light’ at a local safari park. One person was supported to continue their swimming hobby. The home had also knitted ‘trauma teddies’ for Wiltshire Police to give to children following traumatic events.

People had a wide choice of activities to attend. These included a ‘gentleman’s club’, which had previously been for a pub lunch or to play games of pool and chat. Staff told us they liked being able to spend time with people where possible, to chat and get to know more about them.

People chose where they wanted to spend their time. Work had taken place to make the environment brighter through redecoration and re-carpeting. There were plans to update the chairs and furnishings in the home.

People’s bedrooms were decorated to colours of their preference. Their bedrooms were kept clean and tidy and the home was free from odours.

Staff spoke with enthusiasm about working in care and enjoyed their jobs. They told us they liked coming to work and being able to “put a smile on people’s faces.” Staff felt the morale in the home was high and the team worked well together. They described the home as being “like a family.” People enjoyed spending time with staff and the registered manager.

Assessments of people’s mental capacity to consent to decisions regarding their care were in place. 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.

The registered manager and staff team knew people, their backgrounds, interests and preferences well. We observed this knowledge being used to start conversations.

Staff spoke positively about the support they received from the management team of the home. They told us there was clear leadership and they valued how the service was being developed.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 26 January 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.