About the service: Stone House is a residential care home which provides support with personal care needs for up to 40 people, some of who may be living with dementia. At the time of this inspection 33 were living at the home.
People’s experience of using this service:
People and their relatives told us they were supported by an exceptionally caring and considerate staff team who knew them well, treated them as individuals and with the upmost respect. A person who lived at the home said, “I can’t speak highly enough about the staff. They really are amazing, and they put themselves out for me.” A relative told us, “They [staff] should have a gold standard award. They are all so kind and caring and will do anything for [relative]. I wouldn’t want my [relative to be anywhere else. You couldn’t get better than this.” Staff went out of their way to respect people as individuals and provided exceptionally compassionate care to all. Staff had developed meaningful caring relationships with people and were committed to ensuring people lived fulfilling lives and were protected from social isolation.
People felt safe and could raise concerns. The staff team knew the action to take to safeguard people from the risk of harm and abuse. They supported people to take managed risks and enabled them to live the lifestyle of their choosing. Staff were recruited safely and deployed in sufficient numbers to meet people's needs. People received their medicines when they needed them from staff who were trained and competent to carry out the task.
People's health and nutritional needs were monitored and met. People saw health care professionals when required. People were provided with a nutritious and healthy diet, whilst still ensuring there were treats and snacks in-between meals.
Staff understood the importance of ensuring people’s rights were understood and protected. 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.
The registered manager led by example. People, staff and relatives felt their views were important and that their opinions were listened to. Staff were valued by the provider and registered manager. Staff morale was good, and staff were encouraged to share ideas and suggestions for improvements. There was an emphasis of continuous learning and there were effective procedures in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided.
Rating at last inspection: At our last inspection in September 2016 (report published 11 November 2016) the service was rated good.
Why we inspected: This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to
visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk