Archived: Riverside House

Updated 17 December 2020

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 18 November 2020 and was announced.

Updated 17 December 2020

This unannounced inspection took place on 16 October 2018.

At our last inspection in April 2016 the service was rated as good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

Riverside House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The home is registered for up to 34 older people and for people who may be living with dementia. At the time of this inspection there were 22 people living at Riverside House. Accommodation is provided over two floors with several communal areas where people can choose to dine or spend time in the lounges.

There was registered manager in post. 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.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs. Staff training was ongoing and staff had received sufficient training to safely support and care for people. Staff were also supported through regular staff meetings, supervision and appraisals.

We saw that the service worked with a variety of external agencies and health professionals to provide appropriate care and support to meet people’s physical and emotional health needs.

People received their medications as they had been prescribed. Appropriate arrangements were in place in relation to the storage, care planning and records for the administration of medicines.

People’s rights were protected. The registered manager was knowledgeable about their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. People were only deprived of their liberty if this had been authorised by the appropriate body or where applications had been made to do so.

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.

People living in the home were supported to access activities that were made available to them and pass times of their choice.

When employing fit and proper persons the recruitment process had included all of the required checks of suitability.

Auditing and quality monitoring systems were in place that allowed the service to demonstrate effectively the safety and quality of the home.

We observed staff displayed caring and meaningful interactions with people and people were treated with respect. We observed people's dignity and privacy were actively promoted by the staff supporting them.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.