Archived: Priorsmead

Updated 27 September 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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 was a comprehensive inspection.

The inspection took place on 28 July 2017 and was unannounced. It was completed by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection, we reviewed all the information we held about the service. This included information about events happening within the service and which the provider or registered manager must tell us about by law. We also checked recent comments made by people’s relatives on a care home review website.

During the inspection, we observed how staff were supporting and interacting with people. We spoke with five people using the service and three visitors. We also spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, activities coordinator and three members of the care staff team.

We reviewed care and medicine records for three people and recruitment records for a member of staff appointed within the last year. We also checked a sample of records associated with the quality and safety of the service. This included health and safety checks and the report from the analysis of the provider’s questionnaires, completed in February 2017.

Updated 27 September 2017

Priorsmead is a care home without nursing, providing support to a maximum of 16 older people. All of the bedrooms and communal areas are on the ground floor and with level access throughout. There are three lounges, a small quiet room, dining room and gardens for people and their visitors to use. At the time of our inspection, there were 13 people living in the home.

There was a 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. The current registered manager had been running the home for five years when we inspected.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection, we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good:

Staff continued to protect people from the risk of harm and abuse. They understood their obligation to report any concerns or suspicions promptly. The management team or senior staff assessed risks to people's health and welfare and staff knew what action to take to minimise these. There were enough staff to support people safely and they were properly recruited. This contributed to protecting people from the employment of staff who were not suitable to work in care services. Medicines were managed in a safe way so that people received them to promote their health as the prescriber intended.

Staff continued to support people competently. People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and in the least restrictive way possible. Staff training and guidance promoted this practice. People had a choice of enough to eat and drink and staff supported them to do so if they needed assistance. Staff monitored people who were at risk of not eating or drinking enough and ensured people could access advice about this and other aspects of their health and welfare.

Staff continued to develop warm and compassionate relationships with people so that people received a service that was caring. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity. People were able to receive visits from friends and family when they wished, and could involve them in discussions about care if they wanted to.

Staff continued to deliver care that was responsive to people's preferences and wishes. Staff knew about people's likes and dislikes, backgrounds and interests. This contributed to people receiving care that was focused on their individual needs. People were confident that any complaints they had would be listened to and responded to.

The service continued to be well-led. There were effective systems for checking and monitoring the quality and safety of the service, which took into account people's views. There was a registered manager in post with considerable experience both in the role and within Priorsmead. They were supported by a deputy manager. They and members of the staff team understood their roles and responsibilities and were well-motivated to sustain standards.

Further information is in the detailed findings of the report.