Archived: River View Care Centre

Updated 8 June 2016

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 10 and 11 May 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector and two specialist advisors on the first day and one inspector and an inspection manager on the second day. Specialist Advisors are senior clinicians and professionals who assist us with inspections.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). 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 also looked at notifications we had received. Notifications are sent to the Care Quality Commission to inform us of events relating to the service which they are required to tell us about by law. We contacted the quality and performance team at the local authority and requested feedback from other professionals with knowledge of the service.

During the inspection we spoke with fifteen people who use the service and three relatives. We also spoke with 16 members of staff including four registered nurses, four care staff, two housekeeping staff, an activity co-ordinator, the training manager, two clinical managers, the senior clinical manager and the registered manager.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We observed the lunch time activity on both days of the inspection, attended an 11 at 11meeting and observed people taking part in group and individual activities. We reviewed 16 people’s care plans and seven staff files including recruitment records. We also looked at staff duty rotas, quality assurance surveys, audits and a selection of other documents relating to the management of the service.

Updated 8 June 2016

This inspection took place on 10 and 11 May 2016 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection of the service under the management of a new provider.

River View Care Centre provides accommodation for up to 137 people who may be living with dementia and need personal and nursing care. The service was purpose built as a care home and provides accommodation over three floors. The service is divided into seven individual units, two on the ground floor, three on the first floor and two on the second floor. There is a well maintained garden which provides safe outdoor space for people to enjoy.

At the time of the inspection there were 95 people living at the service. There was a registered manager in post at the service. 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.

People living at River View Care Centre received safe, high quality care from staff who knew them well. There were sufficient staff with the appropriate skills and knowledge to support people in a safe and effective manner.

People and when appropriate their relatives had been involved in planning the support and care they required. Staff encouraged people to communicate their wishes and respected the choices they made.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. They were respected and had their privacy and dignity maintained by staff who understood and were trained in these values.

A programme of activities was available and people were supported to take part in those of interest to them. Social and celebratory activities were enjoyed by many people living at the service.

Staff were well supported by the senior staff and the registered manager. They spoke highly of the guidance they received and felt valued and listened to. Staff had received appropriate and regular training to equip them to provide support and care to people effectively.

Staff were knowledgeable with regard to safeguarding people and their responsibilities. They were confident any concerns raised would be dealt with promptly by the management team.

People’s right to make decisions was protected. Staff understood their responsibilities and worked in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005. When people’s freedom had been restricted for their own safety appropriate authorisations were in place under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Visitors were welcomed at the service. There were no restrictions on visiting times and people were encouraged to maintain relationships important to them.

People had a choice of food and drink which they enjoyed. When necessary their nutrition was monitored to help ensure their well-being. If people required support to eat and drink this was provided in a safe, unhurried manner.

People received appropriate health care support. Health and social care professionals were contacted promptly and appropriate referrals were made when people required specialist support.

There was an open, calm and friendly atmosphere in the service. The registered manager and the provider carried out checks and audits to monitor the quality of the service. People were asked for feedback on their experience of the service and any concerns were addressed appropriately.