- Care home
Ann Challis
Report from 11 October 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Date of Assessment: 22 and 23 October 2024. The service is a residential care home providing support to older women living with dementia. People felt safe. People and their families were involved in assessments of their needs. Staff understood and managed risks. Assessments and risks were regularly reviewed. Managers investigated incidents, and actions were taken to reduce the possibility of a reoccurrence. The home was clean throughout. Equipment was serviced and maintained. There were enough trained staff on duty to meet people’s needs. Staff supervisions and staff meetings were used to discuss good practice. People received their medicines as prescribed. People enjoyed the food, and their nutritional needs were met. People’s health was monitored and feedback from medical professionals was positive about working with the home. Staff sought people’s consent before providing support. Where people did not have capacity to make decisions, their relatives were involved in agreeing best interest decisions on their behalf. People and relatives said staff were kind. We observed positive interactions throughout the assessment. Staff responded to people’s needs in a timely way. Staff knew people’s individual needs and protected their privacy and dignity. Activities were arranged for people to take part in if they wished to do so, including external singers. The home had a pet dog, which some people enjoyed taking out for a walk with staff. People and relatives said communication with the home was good. They said they could speak with the manager if they needed to, and any concerns would be listened to and resolved. People’s wishes for their care at the end of their lives was discussed with them. Governance systems were in place and any actions identified had been completed. The management team, including the director, were visible in the home and were said to be approachable. Staff enjoyed working at Ann Challis and felt well supported. Feedback from partners was positive.
People's experience of this service
People and their relatives were positive about living at Ann Challis. One person said, “It’s really the fact that it is a lovely place to live.” People felt safe and were involved in planning their care and support. A relative said, “I think she is very safe. It’s the staff and the environment, it feels very homely here and she is comfortable with the staff.” People made their own choices and were encouraged to do things for themselves as much as they could. One person said, “I get up and go to bed when I want, I can stay up late or have a lie in. If I don’t like the food that day, I can ask for something else.” Another person told us, “The staff encourage me to be independent.” People and relatives found the staff team kind, caring and knew how to meet people’s individual needs. A relative said, “[Staff] have the skill sets for looking after [Name] with their dementia and mobility support. The care they give isn’t intrusive, they give practical care, by showing respect for people and their needs.” People were happy with the activities available to take part in. A relative said, “There are plenty of activities during the week such as armchair activities or craft work. They have entertainers coming in twice a month.” People enjoyed the food and had a choice of meals. One person told us, “The food is lovely, very good. We get enough, but we aren’t over faced.” People and relatives knew the managers and felt able to raise any issues they had with them or the wider staff team. They were happy they would be listened to, and the problem would be resolved. One person said, “Yes, they [managers] are approachable, and they listen to me.” Some people could not directly tell us about their experience. We made observations throughout the assessment to assess whether they received good care. This approach showed staff interacted well with people and sought their consent before providing support. One person told us, “The staff always ask me first if I need help.”