We undertook this unannounced inspection on 17 March 2016. Hadley House Nursing Home is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for a maximum of 14 people, some of whom may have dementia or mental health needs. At this inspection there were 14 people living in the home. At our last focused inspection on 10 December 2015 the service met all the regulations we looked at.
The home has a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People informed us that they were satisfied with the care and services provided. They had been treated with respect and dignity and felt safe living in the home. There was a safeguarding adults policy and suitable arrangements for safeguarding people. Care workers were caring and knowledgeable regarding the individual choices and preferences of people. People’s care needs and potential risks to them had been assessed and care workers provided with guidance on minimising identified risks.
Care workers prepared appropriate and up to date care plans which involved people and their representatives. Personal emergency and evacuation plans were prepared for people and these were seen in the care records. People’s healthcare needs were closely monitored and arrangements made for them to be attended to. There was evidence that people had access to community healthcare professionals and specialist hospital services. This was confirmed by people and their relatives.
There were arrangements for encouraging people to express their views and experiences regarding the care and management of the home. Residents’ meetings had been held for people and the minutes were available for inspection. The home had an activities programme we saw people being encouraged to participate in social activities.
The CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. DoLS ensures that an individual being deprived of their liberty is monitored and the reasons why they are being restricted are regularly reviewed to make sure it is still in the person’s best interests. During this inspection we found that the home had followed appropriate procedures for complying with the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) when needed.
There were suitable arrangements for the provision of meals to ensure that people’s dietary needs and cultural preferences were met. People were satisfied with the meals prepared. Special diets and alternative meals were available for people. The arrangements for the recording, storage, administration and disposal of medicines were satisfactory. Audit arrangements were in place and people and their relatives confirmed that people had been given their medication.
Staff had been carefully recruited and provided with induction and training to enable them to care effectively for people. They had the necessary support, supervision and appraisals from their manager. There were enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff were knowledgeable and enthusiastic about their work. Teamwork and communication within the home was good.
People and their representatives expressed confidence in the management of the service. The results of the last satisfaction survey and feedback from people indicated that they were satisfied with the care and services provided. Staff were aware of the values and aims of the service and this included treating people with respect and dignity and promoting their independence.
The premises were clean and tidy. Infection control measures were in place. There was a record of essential inspections and maintenance carried out. There were arrangements for fire safety which included alarm checks, drills, training and a fire equipment contract.
There was a complaints procedure. Complaints made had been promptly responded to. Audits and checks of the service had been carried out by the registered manager and senior staff in the home. These included checks on care documentation, medicines administration and health and safety checks of premises.