Archived: Fairview House

Updated 10 August 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.

The inspection was unannounced and was carried out on 28 and 29 June 2017 by two inspectors.

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 the improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information in the PIR, along with other information that we held about the service including previous inspection reports and notifications. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

We spoke with six people using the service and engaged with five others, who communicated with us verbally as much as they were able to. We spoke with eight family members and two social care professionals. We observed care and support being delivered in communal areas of the home. 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 spoke with six members of the care staff, the chef, the assistant manager, the registered manager and a representative of the provider of the service.

We looked at care plans and associated records for seven people using the service, staff duty records, three staff recruitment files, records of complaints/compliments, accidents and incidents, policies and procedures and quality assurance records.

Updated 10 August 2017

Fairview House is a care home registered to provide accommodation for up to 24 people, including people living with a cognitive impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 19 people living in the home. The inspection was unannounced and was carried out on the 28 and 29 June 2017 by two inspectors.

At our previous inspection in November 2016, we identified three breaches of regulations. The provider had; failed to assess and mitigate risks to the health and safety of people using the service effectively; failed to ensure that the premises and equipment used by people were clean and properly maintained and failed to ensure that sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, competent and skilled staff were deployed in order to meet their needs. At this inspection we found action had been taken and all these areas had been addressed.

People, their families and staff all felt that there had been substantial improvements in all areas of the service over the last six months. These improvements included staffing levels; the atmosphere; the cleanliness of the home; the level of care provided and the overall running of the service.

There was a registered manager in place at the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the home. 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 home is run.

People and their families told us they felt the home was safe. The risks relating to people’s health and welfare were assessed and these were recorded along with actions identified to reduce those risks in the least restrictive way.

Accident and incident records were clear and detailed and these were reviewed daily to see if any immediate action was required and monthly to identify any patterns. This enabled the registered manager to identify any actions necessary to help reduce the risk of further incidents.

Risks posed by the environment had been assessed and were being managed appropriately. There was a clear and detailed cleaning schedule in place, which domestic staff and care staff worked to, and daily spot checks were completed to assess the cleanliness of the home.

There were sufficient staffing levels to meet the needs of the people which enabled staff to engage with people in a relaxed and unhurried manner. Staff received an induction into the home, appropriate training and supervision to enable them to meet people’s individual needs.

Staff and the registered manager were able to demonstrate an understanding of the provider’s safeguarding policy and explain the action they would take if they identified any concerns.

There were suitable systems in place to ensure the safe storage and administration of medicines. Medicines were administered by staff who had received appropriate training and assessments of their competence. Healthcare professionals, such as chiropodists, opticians, GPs and dentists were involved in people’s care when necessary.

Staff followed legislation designed to protect people’s rights and ensure decisions were the least restrictive and made in their best interests.

People were supported to have enough to eat and drink and staff supported people, when necessary, in a patient and friendly manner.

Staff developed caring and positive relationships with people, were sensitive to their individual choices and treated them with dignity and respect. People were encouraged to maintain relationships that were important to them.

People and when appropriate their families were involved in discussions about their care planning, which reflected their assessed needs.

There was an opportunity for families to become involved in developing the service and they were encouraged to provide feedback on the service provided both informally and through an annual questionnaire. They were also supported to raise complaints should they wish to.

People’s families told us they felt the home was well-led and were positive about the registered manager who understood the responsibilities of their role. Staff were aware of the provider’s vision and values, how they related to their work and spoke positively about the culture and management of the home.