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Southlands Retirement Apartments with Care and Support

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

13 Wetherby Road, Roundhay, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS8 2JU (0113) 265 5876

Provided and run by:
Westward Care Limited

All Inspections

6 December 2023

During an inspection looking at part of the service

About the service

This service provides care to people living in specialist 'extra care' housing. Extra care housing is purpose built or adapted household accommodation in a shared site or building. The apartments are either purchased or rented and is the occupant's own home. People's care and housing are provided under separate contractual agreements. CQC does not regulate premises used for extra care housing; this inspection looked at people who received a personal care service.

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

People told us they felt safe and enjoyed living at Southlands Retirement Apartments with Care and Support. One person told us, “I can’t see room for improvement, it is an excellent service.” Relatives also spoke positively about the support and were satisfied with the care and support given to their loved ones.

Medicines were not always managed as required, areas for improvement were identified during our inspection around storage and auditing, the policy that was in place was not relevant for ‘extra care’ housing. Systems were in place to protect people from the risks related to their care needs. There were enough staff working at the service to meet people's needs and there were adequate staff recruitment practices in place. systems were in place to minimise the risk of infection.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives.

Staff enjoyed working for the provider and told us they felt well supported.

Most people, relatives and staff told us the management team were always approachable and responsive to any issues raised. One person had raised concerns and told us that they felt that these were not always resolved as they would have liked.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for the service was good, published on 28 November 2017.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection due to the length of time since the last inspection

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Recommendations

We have made 3 recommendations in relation to medication, auditing and communication with one person that uses the service.

16 October 2017

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 16 and 17 October 2017 and was unannounced. At the last inspection in April 2016 the service was rated ‘requires improvement’ because staff were not always given the necessary skills and training to care for people and there was a lack of activities for people to participate in. At this inspection the service made the required improvements.

Southlands Nursing Home is a care home for older people; and is registered to accommodate up to 36 people. The accommodation also includes self-contained apartments. It is located in a suburban area of Leeds within walking distance of Roundhay Park and with good transport links and local amenities nearby. There were 17 people living in the service at the time of the inspection.

At the time of the inspection, the service had a registered manager. 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.

People told us they felt safe living at the service and that there were enough staff to meet their needs. Staff were recruited safely, and staff knew how to protect people from abuse using the systems and processes provided by the service.

People were given their medicines safely, with accurate records made. Medicines were ordered, stored and disposed of safely.

Staff were given an induction that equipped them with the knowledge and skills to support people safely. Training needs were monitored by the registered manager and staff were supported with supervisions and appraisals to identify further training opportunities.

People were supported to access medical professionals where required. People were supported to maintain good health through a nutritionally balanced diet. Their weight and nutritional intake was monitored appropriately.

People told us they were cared for by kind and attentive staff, who gave due consideration to their privacy and dignity. People told us they were independent, and staff facilitated them to be as independent as they wanted.

There was a good range of internal and external activities for people living at the home. People told us they participated in interesting and varied activities, and that the activities coordinator, who had been employed since the last inspection, had made improvements to people’s social lives and wellbeing.

There was a robust complaints procedure at the home, and people told us they were confident they knew how to raise a complaint. Complaints we reviewed were given appropriate attention and acted upon by the registered manager.

There was a positive working culture, and staff told us they were confident in the leadership of the service. Staff told us they felt listened to by the registered manager and we saw regular staff meetings were held where staff participated openly.

There were appropriate mechanisms in place to monitor the quality of the service provided, and the registered manager was given good support by the provider.

The service proactively sought feedback from people living at the service through surveys, questionnaires and ‘relatives and residents’ meetings.

4 April 2016

During a routine inspection

The inspection took place on 04 April 2016 and was unannounced. We carried out an inspection in February 2014, where we found the provider was meeting all the regulations we inspected.

Southlands Nursing Home is one of Westward Care Limited home’s for older people. The accommodation also includes self-contained apartments. It is located not far from the centre of Leeds, close to local services, bus routes and walking distance of Roundhay Park. It is registered to provide care and accommodation for a maximum of 36 people.

At the time of the inspection, the service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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.

People told us they felt safe and there were enough staff to keep people safe. We have made a recommendation about the internal door handles. We saw safeguarding training had been arranged for May 2016. People were protected against the risks associated with medicines, however, the registered manager agreed to review the disposal of controlled drugs procedures.

Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and staff completed an induction when they started work. Staff training provided did not fully equip staff with the knowledge and skills to support people safely.

People had a good experience at mealtimes and were involved in developing a new menu. People received good support that ensured their health care needs were met. People were able to choose how they wanted the care and support to be delivered, however, the care plans we looked at did not contain decision specific mental capacity assessments in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005).

People were happy living at the home and felt well cared for. People’s care plans contained sufficient and relevant information to provide consistent, person centred care and support. Staff were aware and knew how to respect people’s privacy and dignity. However, people’s laundry was not always returned to them or in good condition.

There was no opportunity for people to be involved in a range of day to day activities within the home other than when entertainers came into the home. We have made a recommendation about people’s wishes and the provider should act on the results of the ‘client questionnaire’.

The service had good management and leadership. People got opportunity to comment on the quality of service and influence service delivery. Effective systems were in place that ensured people received safe quality care. Complaints were welcomed and investigated appropriately.

11 February 2014

During a routine inspection

People's needs were assessed and care and treatment was planned and delivered in line with their individual care plan.

People were able to communicate with us and told us staff looked after them and cared for them well.

One resident told us, "I like it here; they always give me good food and wash my clothes for me.” Another person told us, “The staff are good, always smiling and if I want a drink they get me one.”

People who used the service and staff were made aware of the complaints system. Staff said people were encouraged to discuss any concerns with staff and these would be dealt with within five days.

7 October 2013

During a routine inspection

On the day of inspection Southlands was undergoing some extensive refurbishment work and one of the residents had been moved to a sister home in Leeds. The residents had been consulted about the refurbishment work and were happy to stay at Southlands while it was on-going. All of the residents had moved to one part of the building and their rooms had been newly decorated.

On the day of inspection there were only ten residents living at Southlands. We spoke with three people who used the service and three members of staff; we also spoke with two relatives of those who used the service. We reviewed three care plans. The people we spoke with were happy living at Southlands. We saw evidence that peoples consent was obtained. We saw evidence of consent for the use of photographs in people’s notes. People we spoke with told us, “I get asked what I would like to eat and if I don’t like it they get me what I want”, “I’m happy here and they look after me.” A visitor said, “I'm involved in discussions about my Mums care and she is happy here.”

During the visit we observed staff supporting people and saw that staff responded promptly to any requests for assistance. Staff told us the staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's needs.

One member of staff said, "I like working here, it’s a nice home and I get a lot of job satisfaction."

31 July 2012

During a themed inspection looking at Dignity and Nutrition

People told us what it was like to live at the home and described how they were supported by staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They also told us about the quality and choice of food and drink available. This was because this inspection was part of a themed inspection programme to assess whether older people living in the homes were treated with dignity and respect and whether their nutritional needs were being met.

The inspection team was led by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector and they were joined by an Expert by Experience, who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who used this type of service.

People told us they were happy with the food served at the home. They were able to make suggestions and requests for future meals. If they didn't like what was on the menu they were able to ask for something else to be prepared. They also said, 'I can eat between meals, fruit is always around.' 'We have a choice of drinks, hot, cold and horlicks at bedtime.' We observed some people needing encouragement to eat their meal. Staff were respectful of people's dignity during this time.

People said they were involved in their care, with their preferences being sought and taken into consideration. This included going to bed and getting up when they wanted and getting involved in activities when they wished to do so.

People also said 'We have been to Scarborough, Roundhay Park and, out for Ice Cream as well as trips to the theatre in Bradford, it was lovely.'

People told us that they felt safe and would have no hesitation in approaching the manager if they had any concerns about their safety or the safety of other people in the home. One person said, 'When you live on your own you worry, it's nice to live with people around you.'

During the inspection we spoke with four relatives and they told us they were happy with all aspects of the service. Comments included, 'Staff support people well' and 'They are very approachable.'

A relative said, 'Staff knows my mum very well, and because she can't speak they anticipate her reactions and answers well.'