14 May 2014
During a routine inspection
This is a summary of what we found.
Is the service safe?
We saw that people were being cared for in an environment that was safe and clean.
Staff personnel records contained the information required by the Health and Social Care Act 2008. This meant the provider could demonstrate that the staff employed to work at the home were suitable and had the skills and experience needed to support the people living there.
CQC monitors compliance with the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). The aim is to make sure that people in care homes and hospitals are looked after in a way that does not restrict their freedom inappropriately. The safeguards should ensure that a care home or hospital only deprives someone of their liberty in a safe and specific way. This would only be done when it was in the best interests of the person and there is no other way to look after them. There were no restrictions on the freedom of anyone living at the home at the time we visited and no authorisations had been sought from the local authority. The provider had policies and procedures in place and the DoLS Code of Practice was available for staff to refer to. The staff we spoke with understood when an application should be made and how to submit one.
Is the service effective?
The people we spoke with told us that they were happy with the care they received and that their needs had been met. They spoke positively about their care and the staff who supported them. It was clear from what we saw and from speaking with staff that they had a good understanding of the care and support needs of the people who used the service. We saw from the training records we viewed that staff had received training to enable them to meet the needs of the people living at the home.
Is the service caring?
We saw that the staff showed patience and gave encouragement when they were supporting people and that people were able to do things at their own pace and were not rushed.
Is the service responsive?
People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. The records we saw confirmed that people's preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes. People had access to activities that were important to them and had been supported to maintain relationships with their friends and relatives.
Throughout our visit we found the atmosphere was calm and relaxed. We observed how the staff and the people who used the service worked together and it was clear that there were good relationships between them.
We saw that people's rooms were spacious, light and clean. People had personalised their rooms with their personal belongings. There was a dining area, a kitchen and laundry and a lounge area. The lounge area contained items which reflected the interests of the people who used the service, for example, photographs of holidays they had taken.
Is the service well-led?
We found from speaking with staff that they had a good understanding of the home's values, for example one member of staff told us that their priority was that the people who used the service were happy. Staff told us about their roles and responsibilities and they were clear about these. We saw that quality assurance processes were in place to make sure that the provider monitored the care provided and made improvements where necessary. For example, satisfaction surveys had been completed by people who used the service and their families. The results had been analysed and comments had been acted on.
A variety of information was displayed, such as activities for the week, dignity in care, the service aims and objectives, philosophy of care and safeguarding information.