Background to this inspection
Updated
30 April 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
One Adult Social Care Inspector and an Assistant Inspector carried out this inspection.
Service and service type:
Agnes House is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The home accommodates up to 15 people in one adapted building. At the time of the inspection, 13 people were living in the home.
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:
The inspection took place on 22 March 2019 and was unannounced.
What we did:
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection in June 2016. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse. We assessed the information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
People who lived at Agnes House chose not to talk at length with an inspector. We briefly met with three of the people living at Agnes House, and spent time observing staff working with and supporting people in communal areas during the inspection. We also spoke with two visiting health care professionals, two members of staff and spoke at length with the registered manager.
During our inspection we looked at three people's care records and associated documents. We looked at previous inspection reports, rotas, audits, staff training and supervision records, health and safety paperwork, accident and incident records, complaints and compliments. We also looked at records that related to how the home was managed, such as quality audits, fire risk assessments and infection control records. We reviewed the comments made by relatives on a questionnaire.
Updated
30 April 2019
About the service:
Agnes House is a residential care home that was providing personal care to 13 people who were recovering from mental health conditions at the time of the inspection.
People’s experience of using this service:
Staff understood their responsibilities to protect people from abuse and discrimination. They knew to report any concerns and ensure action was taken. The registered manager worked with the local authority safeguarding adults team to protect people.
Staff were supported in their roles and received an effective level of training. They told us they were happy with the level of training and support they received and we saw them supporting people in a competent manner.
People continued to be supported by an established team of staff who provided kind and personalised care to people living in the home. Safe recruitment ensured people were supported by staff of good character.
People were protected from harm by the provider having effective systems in place to monitor medicine management, staffing, infection control and the safe upkeep of the premises.
Staff promoted people's dignity and privacy. Staff provided person-centred support by listening to people and engaging them at every opportunity. Staff were caring and understanding towards people. People using the service appeared comfortable in the presence of staff working in the service.
The premises provided suitable accommodation for people with communal areas and bedrooms which were personalised to people's individual choices and personal items.
Support plans were detailed and reviewed with the person. Staff worked with and took advice from health care professionals. People's health care needs were met.
People had a variety of activities that took place inside and outside the home. They enjoyed on a regular basis. Formal supervision meetings were carried out with staff. They told us they were supported and clear about what was expected of them.
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.
Audits and checks of the premises, equipment and care delivery were carried out, and any issues identified and rectified.
The home continued to meet the characteristics of a rating of good in all areas. More information about the inspection is in the full report.
Rating at last inspection:
The home was rated Good at the last inspection (report published in June 2016).
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up:
We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk