24 September 2018
During a routine inspection
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 24 September 2018.
A registered manager was in post. A 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 registered manager was currently on an agreed period of extended leave so the provider had appointed an acting manager. CQC had been notified of this arrangement.
People were safe in the home. Risks had been assessed and staff knew what plans were in place to protect people from harm. Staff knew who to report concerns to and were confident that action would be taken by managers.
Staff had been safely recruited to ensure they were suitable to support the needs of the people living at the home. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs.
Medication was stored correctly and given to people at the right times.
The principles of the MCA (Mental Capacity Act) had been applied. Deprivation of liberty safeguarding (DoLS) applications had been made and reviewed appropriately. Staff understood the importance of gaining people’s consent to care and supporting people’s choices.
People’s health needs were promoted and people had access to healthcare professionals when required. People enjoyed the food at the home and were supported to maintain a healthy diet.
Staff treated people with dignity and respect by and were caring in their approach. Relatives felt welcome when they visited and were encouraged to express their views.
People’s needs and individual preferences were assessed, understood and met and their independence was promoted wherever possible. People were involved in planning their care.
Some monitoring systems and processes required further development to ensure people’s needs were met and staff fully understood how to support people in line with best practice guidance.
Staff had not completed all the required training in line with the provider’s policy but managers were aware of this and action was being taken to address these gaps.
The provider had given good support to both the manager and deputy manager who were ‘acting up’ in their roles.