The inspection took place on 4 and 5 November 2015 and was unannounced. Mayflower House provides care and accommodation for up to 33 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. On the day of the inspection 33 people lived at the home. A & L Care Homes Limited owns Mayflower House and has another service in Plymouth.
The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.
People and staff were busy and enjoying each other’s company and the service had a calm and relaxed atmosphere. Comments included; “Staff are kind and caring.” People said they were happy living there.
People and their relatives were happy with the care staff provided. Professionals and relatives said the service knew people well and the staff were knowledgeable and competent to meet people’s needs.
People were supported and encouraged to make their own decisions and choices whenever possible in their day to day lives. People had their privacy and dignity maintained. Staff were observed supporting people with patience and kindness.
People were protected by safe recruitment procedures. Staff were supported with an induction and ongoing training programme to develop their skills and staff competency was assessed. Everyone we spoke with felt there were sufficient staff on duty. However people, relatives and staff felt a designated laundry staff would benefit the service.
People had access to healthcare professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment to meet their health care needs such as GPs and district nurses. Professionals confirmed staff followed the guidance they provided. This ensured people received the care they needed to remain safe and well, for example people had regular visits by district nurses to change dressings.
People’s medicines were managed safely. Medicines were managed, stored and disposed of safely. Senior staff administered medicines and had received training and confirmed they understood the importance of safe administration and management of medicines.
The registered manager and staff had sought and acted on advice where they thought people’s freedom was being restricted. This helped to ensure people’s rights were protected. Applications were made and advice sought to help safeguard people and respect their human rights. Staff had undertaken safeguarding training, they displayed a good knowledge on how to report concerns and were able to describe the action they would take to protect people against harm. Staff were confident any incidents or allegations would be fully investigated. People who were able to told us they felt safe.
People were supported to maintain a healthy, balanced diet. People told us they enjoyed their meals and observed mealtimes did not feel rushed.
People’s care records were computerised and of a high standard. People’s care records were comprehensive and detailed people’s preferences.
People’s risks were considered, well-managed and regularly reviewed to keep people safe. Where possible, people had choice and control over their lives and were supported to engage in activities within the home. Records were updated to reflect people’s changing needs. People and their families were involved in the planning of their care.
People and staff described the registered manager as being supportive and approachable. Staff talked positively about their jobs and took pride in their work. Visiting professionals and staff confirmed the registered manager made themselves available and were very good.
The manager had an ethos of honesty and transparency. This reflected the requirements of the duty of candour. The duty of candour is a legal obligation to act in an open and transparent way in relation to care and treatment.
People’s opinions were sought formally and informally. Audits were conducted to ensure the quality of care and environmental issues were identified promptly. Accidents and safeguarding concerns were investigated and, where there were areas for improvement, these were shared for learning.