Eastfield

Eastfield is registered to provide accommodation and care for up to 43 older people. Offering both residential care and dementia care. Bedrooms are situated on two floors and there is a shaft lift so that they are accessible for people with mobility difficulties. All bedrooms are single occupancy with en-suite facilities. There were 32 people living at the service at the time of our inspection, some of which were living with dementia.

At our last inspection, we rated the service as good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

A registered manager was employed at the service and had been in the position for a period of 18 months. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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 service is run. The registered manager was supported by a deputy manager and an area manager.

People continued to be protected from the risk of harm or abuse. Risks to people were assessed and minimised. There were sufficient staff deployed to keep people safe meet their needs. Staff had been recruited safely. People received their medicines safely from staff that had been trained and had their competency assessed.

People were protected by the prevention and control of infection where possible, with systems in place to ensure the risk of contamination were minimised. Accidents and incidents continued to be managed effectively.

People continued to have their needs and choices assessed when they started using the service, either as respite or on a permanent basis. People received care that was personalised to their needs. People were supported to take part in meaningful activities which they enjoyed. People were encouraged to raise concerns or complaints.

People continued to be encouraged to make their own choices about their lives. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff support them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People and staff were asked for their feedback about the service, with action taken if any suggestions or concerns were raised.

People continued to be given a choice at mealtimes and were able to access drinks and snacks throughout the day. People’s nutrition and hydration needs had been assessed and recorded. Staff and the chef met people’s specific dietary needs and support. Staff ensured people remained as healthy as possible with support from health care professionals, if required.

Staff continued to be trained to meet people’s needs including any specialist needs. Staff were given feedback, support and guidance from their line manager, through regular supervision meetings. Staff were seen to be kind and compassionate towards people. People and their relatives were involved with making decisions about care and support. People were treated with privacy and dignity.

There was an inclusive, open and transparent nature to the service. The registered manager understood the legal requirements of their role. Systems continued to be in place to monitor the quality of the service being provided to people. There was a range of checks and audits carried out to ensure the safety and quality of the service that was provided to people.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

We saw from the records we looked at that staff had received a formal induction when they started working at the service. We spoke with a new member of staff. They told us about their experience of their first few weeks of employment. They told us that their progress during their induction was monitored by the manager. Explained that they had a work book and this had areas of competence that had to be signed off. They told us that they had worked alongside an experienced member of staff before they delivered support themselves. The manager also explained how when a new member of staff had started work at the home they received regular supervision, the staff member confirmed this and said that to start with they would speak with the manager several times a week about the their work and any issues they may have had. This meant that new staff were supported and had reached an appropriate level of competency before they worked as part of the team.

There was a training plan in place for all staff. We found that staff had received on-going training for example in administering medication, moving and handling, infection control, health and safety and dementia. Staff we spoke with confirmed that their training was reviewed and that they attended refresher training. For example one member of staff said. 'I have had on-going training and I have completed an NVQ level 2.' We noted that many of the staff had received specialist training from a continuing care nurse in relation to end of life care. We saw that staff had also received training in dementia care awareness. People who used the service told us that they knew staff attended training and that they felt staff were good at their jobs. This meant that staff had received training that related to the needs of the people they were supporting.

We talked with three staff and they told us that the manager was approachable and supportive. During our inspection we observed that the manager spoke to staff professionally and appropriately. All of the staff we spoke with were complimentary of the support and training they received. 'One said 'The manager is very approachable'. Another said, 'I have found all the staff here and the manager very supportive'. This meant that staff were supported to work effectively.

When we visited people told us that the food had vastly improved recently with the appointment of a new chef. One person said that the meals were 'very good, I can't fault the food'.

We received information that expressed concerns about how the manager cooperated with other providers. We found that there had been a lack of consistency about sharing information when people were moving to other services.

We received information about the standards of the premises and grounds not being adequately maintained. We found that some areas of the home were not adequately maintained. People told us that the heating at the home was 'Always a problem' and that some areas were too hot and others too cold.

We found that the numbers of staff on duty were adequate to meet the needs of people living at the service.