4 December 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
About the service
Abbey House is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 37 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia and learning disabilities. At the time of our inspection there were 32 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Right Support:
Medicines were not always managed safely. We found concerns with transdermal patch medication administration records. There were not always enough staff to meet people’s needs. People told us, and call bell audits demonstrated, people were waiting for prolonged periods of time for support. Some staff training was not up to date or completed. People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice. Safe recruitment processes were followed
Right Care:
Infection prevention and control measures were not always robust, we identified multiple cushion covers and mattress covers to be soiled. People were not always supported in a person-centred way. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse. Appropriate Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS ) applications were in place for people. Staff knew people well; they had a good understanding of people's needs and the support they required.
Right Culture:
Quality assurance systems and service oversight was not always effective. Actions taken to drive improvements were not always effective. People using the service and their relatives found the registered manager to be approachable. The service sought the views of staff and people using the service. People told us they enjoyed the activities within the service. Staff felt supported by the manager.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good.
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about staffing, people’s needs not being met and the maintenance of the premises. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective and well led sections of this full report.
You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Abbey House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to dignity, safe care and treatment, governance and staffing at this inspection.
Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.