11 November 2014
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 11 November 2014 and was unannounced.
Pembroke Hotel Rest Home provides personal care and support for up to 19 people. Nursing care is not provided. Care is provided to older people, who may be living with a variety of conditions including diabetes, sensory impairment, risk of falls and long term healthcare needs for long term care or respite care. There were 10 people living in the service on the day of our inspection. People had just been told that the service was to close and they were very involved with the support of staff in the process of looking for a new home or getting ready to move out of the service.
The service had a registered manager, who was present for the inspection. 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.
Staff had received training and guidance in the Mental capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The Mental Capacity Act 2005 sets out how to act to support people who do not have capacity to make a specific decision. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 to make sure that people living in a care home are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. Current information and guidance had been sought. However, the provider had not ensured this information had been used to inform the completion of policies and procedures specific to the service. This was to inform staff of the procedures they were expected to follow to ensure continuity, and with a review process to ensure guidance was updated to detail current legal requirements.
People's individual care and support needs had been assessed. Care and support provided was personalised and based on the identified needs of each individual. People’s care and support plans and risk assessments were detailed and reviewed regularly. People told us they were given their medicines when they needed them. People had access to healthcare professionals, including their GP and district nursing team, staff from the falls advisory service and the older people’s mental health team. All appointments with, or visits by, health care professionals were recorded in individual care plans. People told us they had felt involved and listened to. One person told us, “I can’t fault the care, it is excellent.” Another person told us, “I am very happy here. I love the place.”
People were treated with respect and dignity by the staff. They were spoken with and supported in a sensitive, respectful and professional manner.
People told us they felt safe. They knew who they could talk with if they had any concerns. They felt it was somewhere where they could raise concerns and they would be listened to. There were systems in place to assess and manage risks and to provide safe and effective care.
People said the food was good and plentiful. Staff demonstrated an awareness of individual’s dietary requirements, and people were regularly consulted about their food preferences.
There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff to keep people safe and meet their care and support needs. Staff told us they were supported to develop their skills and knowledge by receiving training which helped them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively. Training records were kept up-to-date.
Staff told us that communication throughout the service was good and included comprehensive handovers at the beginning of each shift and regular staff meetings. They confirmed that they felt valued and supported by the registered manager, who they described as very approachable.
People were asked to complete satisfaction questionnaires, and had the opportunity to attend residents meetings. A range of internal audits, and records were completed to review the quality of the care provided.