Housteads is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 40 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. The home is situated in the Richmond area of Sheffield, close to local amenities and transport links. Accommodation is based on the ground floor. All of the bedrooms are single and communal lounges and dining rooms are available for use. The home has a secure enclosed garden and car park.
The service did not have a manager who was registered with 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The previous registered manager retired on 17 April 2015. An experienced manager from a home within the same company was covering the vacancy whilst a new manager was recruited.
Our last inspection at Housteads took place on 29 June 2013. The home was found to be meeting the requirements of the regulations we inspected at that time.
This inspection took place on 26 May 2015 and was unannounced. On the day of our inspection there were 34 people living at Housteads.
People told us they were well cared for and they felt safe. Comments included, “It’s good here, I am quite satisfied,” “The staff are lovely” and “I feel safe here.”
Two relatives told us, “We don’t have any concerns. The staff do their best and are very caring.”
We found systems were in place to make sure people received their medicines safely.
We observed the number of staff on duty and found that staff were visible in all areas of the home and available to respond to people’s needs and keep people safe. Some people living at the home said that they would like more staff.
In the main the home was clean and tidy. However, we found that two corridor carpets were stained, marked and worn. This did not create a positive impression of that area of the home.
Individual care plans and risk assessments were in place in order to identify people’s needs and manage risks to people. We found that some care plans required updating to make sure they contained relevant information. The manager had identified this and we saw evidence they were working through a programme of updating care plans.
Staff received training in safeguarding and knew how to identify and report abuse and unsafe practice. Incidents were assessed and monitored by the manager to try to prevent and reduce potential reoccurrence and identify any trends.
Staff recruitment procedures were thorough and ensured people’s safety was promoted.
Staff were provided with relevant induction and training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff understood their role and what was expected of them. We found that significant changes to the senior staff team had taken place in the weeks before this inspection. Staff reported an improvement in morale since new senior staff had been working at the home.
Staff had not been provided with regular supervision for development and support.
The service followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Code of practice and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This helped to protect the rights of people who may not be able to make important decisions themselves.
People had access to a range of health care professionals to help maintain their health. A varied and nutritious diet was provided to people that took into account dietary needs and preferences so that health was promoted and choices could be respected.
People living at the home, and their relatives said that they could speak with staff if they had any worries or concerns and they would be listened to. Some people were unsure who the new manager was.
We saw people participated in a range of daily activities which were meaningful and promoted independence.
There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. Regular checks and audits were undertaken to make sure full and safe procedures were adhered to. People using the service and their relatives had been asked their opinion via surveys; the manager confirmed the results of these would be audited to identify any areas for improvement.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.