Archived: Cedar House Nursing and Residential Home

Updated 14 May 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 14 April 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors, 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 information that we held about the service. Providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission about events and incidents that occur including unexpected deaths, injuries to people receiving care and safeguarding matters. We reviewed the notifications the provider had sent us and additional information we had requested from the local authority quality assurance team and the clinical commissioning group.

During the inspection, we spoke with six people living at Cedar House, three visiting relatives, three care staff, a nurse, the chef, the registered manager and the provider’s regional manager. We observed how care and support was provided to some people who were not able to communicate their views to us. To do this, 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.

The records we looked at included three people’s care records, five people’s medicine records and other records relating to people’s care, three staff recruitment files and staff training records. We also looked at maintenance records in respect of the premises and equipment and records relating to how the provider monitored the quality of the service. We asked the registered manager to send us confirmation after our visit that they had assessed the risk in relation to exposed pipework within people’s rooms. This information was received promptly.

Updated 14 May 2016

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 14 April 2016.

During our last inspection of the home in November 2015, we found that the provider was in breach of five regulations of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014. These were in respect of the management of risk and cleanliness and infection control, treating people with dignity and respect, providing person centred care and good governance. We sent the provider a warning notice in respect of the breach of regulation in respect of good governance. We told them that they had to meet this regulation by 1 February 2016.

In respect of the other breaches of regulation, the provider sent us an action plan and told us they would be meeting these by 1 February 2016. At this inspection, we found that the necessary improvements had been made. Therefore, the provider was no longer in breach of these regulations. However, improvements were required to make sure that people consistently received care that provided them with enough stimulation to enhance their well-being.

Cedar House Nursing and Residential Home is a service that provides accommodation and nursing care for up to 26 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. On the day of the inspection, there were a total of 14 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager employed at the home. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

The provider had systems in place to protect people from the risk of abuse and risks to people’s safety had been assessed, with actions being taken to reduce their risk of harm. The home and equipment that people used was clean.

There were enough staff to meet people’s care needs safely and people received their medicines when they needed them. The staff had received appropriate training and supervision to provide them with the necessary skills and knowledge to provide people with effective care.

People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who were kind and compassionate. People were asked for their consent about their care and the staff understood how to support people who were unable to consent to this themselves.

People received enough to eat and drink to meet their individual needs and timely action was taken by the staff when they were concerned about people’s health.

People’s individual care needs and preferences had been assessed. However, some people did not receive adequate stimulation to enhance their well-being.

The staff were happing working in the home and felt supported in their role. They were clear about their individual roles and responsibilities and were valued by the registered manager.

Any complaints or concerns that were raised were listened to and dealt with and there were effective systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the care provided.