Archived: Dale House Care Centre

Updated 25 November 2017

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 inspection took place on 25 September 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection was undertaken by two inspectors.

Prior to this inspection we reviewed all the information we held about the service, including data about safeguarding and statutory notifications. Statutory notifications are information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We spoke with commissioners from the Local Authority and Clinical Commissioning Group (CCG) to gain their feedback as to how the provider worked with them to improve the care and treatment of people using the service.

During our inspection we carried out general observations of staff interactions with people who used the service. We spoke with three people using the service, two relatives, five care staff, one domestic staff, one senior carer, one registered nurse, the activity person, the deputy manager and the area manager from the administration company.

We looked at the care records and other associated records for four people using the service. We also looked at three staff recruitment records, medicines storage and administration records, and management quality assurance audit records.

Updated 25 November 2017

This comprehensive inspection took place on 25 September 2017. At the last inspection in March 2017 the service was rated Inadequate and placed in 'special measures'. Services in special measures are kept under review and, if we have not taken immediate action to propose to cancel the provider's registration of the service, the service will be inspected again within six months. The expectation is that providers found to have been providing inadequate care should have made significant improvements within this timeframe.

At this inspection we found the provider had made the necessary improvements and the service was removed from being in ‘special measures’. However at the time of this inspection these systems were still being embedded and the provider had not yet had the chance to demonstrate that the improvements would be sustained.

Dale House Care Centre is situated in Wellingborough in Northamptonshire. The service provides nursing and residential care for up to 66 older people, requiring nursing and dementia care. At the time of our inspection 22 people were using the service. The service was in administration, as the business was being sold to a new provider.

We were informed that the registered manager had recently resigned and the management of the service was being overseen by the deputy manager, supported by a representative from the administration company. 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.

Systems were in place to ensure that appropriate recruitment checks were carried out. However background checks requiring further investigation had not always been recorded.

All staff treated people with dignity and respect. However there was a need to further support and develop the staff to effectively support and enhance the well-being of people living with dementia.

The staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's needs. People felt safe and staff were aware of their responsibilities to protect people from harm. Systems were in place to ensure medicines were being managed safely and people received their medicines as prescribed.

Systems were in place to ensure staff received training and on-going support through one to one supervision to discuss their work, training and development needs.

The staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 when caring for people that lacked the capacity to make their own decisions. Consent to arrangements for care, treatment and support was sought from people or other relevant people and best interests’ decisions were in place where appropriate.

An activity person had been appointed and a programme of daily activities was in place, people had been consulted about the activities they wanted to have in place.

People received a varied and nutritious diet that met their likes and dislikes, food intolerances, allergies, medical and cultural needs. People’s healthcare needs were met, and they were supported to access the advice and support of other healthcare professionals as and when required.

Care plans had been reviewed and updated to reflect people’s current needs. A resident of the day programme had been implemented; each day one person’s care was fully reviewed to ensure the care they received was relevant to their current needs. The provider had systems in place to receive and respond to any complaints or feedback brought to their attention and they took appropriate action to address complaints in line with their complaints policy.

The quality assurance procedures at the service had been fully reviewed, a range of scheduled audits were being carried out. Areas identified for further improvement had action plans in place with deadlines for the actions to be achieved.