Northway House

Updated 2 October 2024

Date of Assessment: 8 to 15 October 2024. The service is a care home providing support to older people with personal care needs. At the time of our visits 17 people were living at the home. We found 2 breaches of regulation in relation to medicines management and governance. Staff were not following the medicines management policy which potentially placed people at risk. Governance systems and audits were not effective in identifying or addressing areas for improvement. Some environmental safety checks had not been undertaken and some cleaning schedules were not fully completed. This potentially placed people at risk. A new manager was in post. They acknowledged there were improvements to be made and they were committed to making these. There was limited evidence people were involved in assessments of their needs. However, people and their representatives felt their needs were met. There were enough competent staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were positive about changes being made at the home. We have asked the provider for an action plan in response to the concerns found at this assessment.

Updated 2 October 2024

People lived in a home where quality monitoring systems in place were not effective in identifying issues or driving improvements. This meant people could not always be confident that shortfalls in the care and support they received would be addressed in a timely way. We found staff were not always following the medicines policy but people we spoke with were happy they received their medicines at the right time. One person said, “They do my tablets first thing. No problems with that.” People’s care plans were not always comprehensive and not everyone’s care plan reflected their up-to-date needs. People had not been fully involved in planning or reviewing their care and support needs. However, people generally felt they received the right care to meet their needs. People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. Relatives felt their loved ones were well looked after. One visitor told us, “I never go away worried. They are in safe hands.” People were complimentary about the staff who supported them. One person told us, “All the staff are kind and caring.” Another person told us, “Staff are OK, always helpful.” People told us there was enough staff. We observed staff responded to people’s requests for support promptly, which alleviated discomfort and promoted people’s dignity. People felt they could follow their own routines and were able to make decisions about their day to day lives. People lived in a home where the manager was visible and approachable. People and visitors said they would be comfortable to make a complaint or raise any concerns.