Archived: Chamber Mount

Updated 19 April 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 was 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.

The inspection was unannounced and took place on 4 and 5 February 2016. On the first day the inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors. On the second day the inspection was carried out by one adult social care inspector. Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service, including the notifications the CQC had received from the provider. Notifications are changes, events or incidents that the provider is legally obliged to send us within a required timescale. We also reviewed the inspection report from the previous inspection and contacted the local authority to ask them if they had any concerns about the service, which they did not.

During our inspection we spoke with three people who used the service, four visitors, the registered manager and owners of the service and three members of the care staff. We also spoke with one visiting health care professional.

We observed how staff interacted with people using the service in the communal areas and dining rooms, reviewed records and looked at other information which helped us assess how people’s care needs were met. We spent time observing the lunchtime meal, and watched the administration of medication to check that this was done safely.

As part of the inspection we reviewed four people’s care records, including their care plans and risk assessments. We looked at the four staff files, which included their recruitment checks, induction and supervision information. We also reviewed other information about the service, such as its quality assurance records, staff rotas, complaint and compliment records and policies.

Updated 19 April 2016

This inspection was carried out over two days on the 4 and 5 February 2016. Our visit on 4 February was unannounced.

We last inspected Chamber Mount in May 2014. At that inspection we found that the service was meeting the regulations we assessed.

Chamber Mount is a converted detached property situated in a residential area of Oldham, approximately one mile from Oldham Town centre. The service is registered to provide care and accommodation for up to 23 older people, some of whom may have dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 21 people living at Chamber Mount. There are three lounges, two dining rooms and a large conservatory. All bedrooms have vanity units and are fitted with a call system and have access to bathroom and toileting facilities. The property is surrounded by a small garden and there is an area containing garden furniture at the rear of the property. Chamber Mount is privately owned and the owners are both actively involved with supporting the registered manager in the day to day management of the home.

The home had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) who was present for both days of the inspection. 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 registered manager had been in post for nearly thirteen years and was highly regarded by the owners, staff and residents. She had a positive and proactive approach to managing the home and maintaining high standards of care.

Staff had a good understanding of safeguarding procedures, how to identify signs of abuse and what action they would take to protect people. People were kept safe, and risk assessments had been completed to show how people were supported with everyday risks. The building was well-maintained and environmental checks were up-to-date. There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to care for residents and recruitment checks had been carried out on all staff to ensure they were suitable to work in a care setting. Medication was administered in a safe manner.

Staff had undertaken a variety of training to ensure that they had the skills and knowledge required for their role and received regular supervision from senior staff. All staff had undertaken training in the Mental Capacity Act (MCA): The MCA provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interest and as least restrictive as possible. Staff we spoke to understood how to encourage people to make choices where they had the capacity to do so, and to seek consent before undertaking any care. People were supported to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs and they told us the food was good.

People told us the staff were kind and caring and that their dignity and privacy were respected. Care plans were person-centred, reflecting the needs of each individual and were reviewed on a regular basis. The home had taken part in the ‘six steps end of life training programme’ in order to improve knowledge and understanding in this area.

People were supported to maintain good health and referrals to healthcare professionals, for example to District Nurses, or General Practitioners (GP) were made promptly. Families were kept informed of any changes to their relatives’ health and were invited to give feedback on the service through meetings and surveys. The service had a complaints procedure in place and people we spoke with knew how to raise a complaint if they needed to.

Staff received regular supervision and quality assurance processes were in place to ensure that the service delivered high quality care.