Archived: Rider House Care Centre

Updated 8 October 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on the 2 September 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of three inspectors and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

We did not send the provider a Provider Information Return (PIR) request prior to this inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from the public, from the local authority commissioners and the statutory notifications the manager had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services which are paid for by the local authority.

We spoke with 20 people who lived at the home, nine people’s visitors and a visiting professional. We also spoke with two volunteers, three care staff, one nurse, the cook and the registered manager.

We observed how staff interacted with people who used the service and looked at four people’s care records to check that the care they received matched the information in their records.

We observed the lunch time meal to check that people were provided with food that met their needs and preferences.

We looked at the medicines and records for six people and observed the lunch time medicines administered, to check that people were given their medicines as prescribed and in a safe way.

We looked at other records that related to the care people received. This included the training records for the staff employed, to check that the staff were provided with training to meet people’s needs safely.

We looked at evidence of staff supervision to see if staff were provided with support in their jobs. We looked at the recruitment records of three staff to check that the staff employed were safe to work with people.

We looked at the systems the provider had in place to monitor the quality of the service, this included satisfaction questionnaires, audits and the maintenance and servicing of equipment.

Updated 8 October 2015

We inspected this service on 2 September 2015. The inspection was unannounced. At our previous inspection in May 2013, the service was meeting the regulations that we checked.

Rider House Care Centre provides accommodation residential, nursing and palliative care for up to 41 older people. There were 34 people who used the service at the time of our visit.

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.

The home was in need of repair and refurbishment to ensure it met people’s needs and improved their wellbeing.

Mental capacity assessments had not been undertaken for a person who was unable to make decisions and people’s consent was not always gained before care interventions were delivered.

People’s preferences regarding meals were not always sought or considered and staff did not always support people to maintain their dignity effectively. Activities were available but these does not always meet people’s hobbies or interests.

Assessments were in place that identified risks to people’s health and safety and care plans directed staff on how to minimise these identified risks. However staff were not always following these to ensure people’s safety was maintained.

The needs of people and the staffing levels in place had an impact on the timeliness of support people received.

The provider sought people’s views but this was not done on a regular basis and feedback was only given to the registered manager if concerns were identified.

People we spoke with told us they felt safe living in the home. Staff demonstrated a good awareness of the importance of keeping people safe. They understood their responsibilities for reporting any concerns regarding potential abuse.

Plans were in place to respond to emergencies to ensure people were supported appropriately.

Staff were suitably recruited to ensure the risks to people’s safety were minimised. Processes were in place to ensure people received their medicines in a safe way. The staff team received training to meet people’s needs and were supported by the registered manager.

People were supported to maintain good health and accessed the services of other health professionals when they needed specialist support.

People and their relatives were involved in planning and agreeing how they were cared for and supported. People felt comfortable raising concerns which demonstrated that a transparent and open management approach was in place. People knew how to make a complaint and we saw these were investigated.

The registered manager undertook audits to identify risks and take action as needed to promote people’s safety and wellbeing.

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.