05 and 09 February 2015
During a routine inspection
The Newlyn is a care home for older people who require residential care. It is registered for 13 people. The service provides residential accommodation and communal areas over three floors. Some of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, with shared bathrooms and toilets for the rest of the rooms. The service is located in a residential area near Ramsgate. On the day of our inspection there were 13 people living in the service.
The service is run by the registered provider with a deputy manager. Both were present on the days of our inspection. The registered provider is a ‘registered person’ who has legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Risks to people’s safety were identified and managed appropriately. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse. Recruitment processes were in place to check that staff were of good character. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff with the right mix of skills, knowledge and experience. There was a training programme in place to make sure staff had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles.
The provider and staff understood how the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 was applied to ensure decisions made for people without capacity were only made where this was in their best interests. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The provider and deputy manager were aware of a recent Supreme Court Judgement which widened and clarified the definition of a deprivation of liberty.
People and their relatives were happy with the standard of care at the service. People were involved with the planning of their care. People’s needs were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care needs. Staff were kind, caring and compassionate and knew people well.
People were provided with a choice of healthy food and drinks which ensured that their nutritional needs were met. People’s physical health was monitored and people were supported to see healthcare professionals. People were supported to take their medicines safely.
The design and layout of the building met people’s needs and was safe. The atmosphere was calm, happy and relaxed. The risk of social isolation was reduced because staff supported people to keep occupied with a range of activities which included music sessions and quizzes.
Staff told us that there was an open culture and that they felt supported by the provider and the deputy manager.
The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. The provider had submitted notifications to CQC in a timely manner and in line with CQC guidelines.