Archived: Yellow House Care Home

There was a manager in post, who had applied to become the registered manager. However, at the time of our inspection, they were not registered with the CQC. 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.

There were systems in place to evacuate people and deal with emergencies. However, the service had no formalised business continuity procedures to follow. This placed people at risk should an emergency take place.

Staff told us they felt supported and had informal development plans to enhance their skills and knowledge. However, we were informed by staff and the manager that regular formal supervision meetings had not regularly been taking place for care staff.

Statutory notifications had not been routinely submitted to CQC by the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. Notifications in relation to these relevant events had not been sent to the CQC.

We have identified the issues above, as areas of practice that need improvement.

People were happy and relaxed with staff. They said they felt safe and there were sufficient staff to support them. One person told us, “I feel safe, because this is my home and I live here”. When staff were recruited, their employment history was checked and references obtained. Checks were also undertaken to ensure new staff were safe to work within the care sector. Staff were knowledgeable and trained in safeguarding adults and what action they should take if they suspected abuse was taking place.

Medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure that medicines had been stored, administered, audited and reviewed appropriately.

People were being supported to make decisions in their best interests. The manager had received training and staff were knowledgeable of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Staff had received essential training and there were opportunities for additional training specific to the needs of the service, including autism, behaviour that may challenge, and the care of people living with dementia.

People were encouraged and supported to eat and drink well. There was a varied daily choice of meals and people were able to give feedback and have choice in what they ate and drank. One person told us, “I have had three cups of tea this morning, they get me one whenever I ask”. People were advised on healthy eating and special dietary requirements were met. People’s weight was monitored, with their permission. Health care was accessible for people and appointments were made for regular check-ups as needed.

People chose how to spend their day and they took part in activities in the service and the community. People told us they enjoyed the activities, which included swimming, yoga, singing and games consoles. People were encouraged to stay in touch with their families and receive visitors.

People told us they felt well looked after and supported and stated that staff were friendly and helpful. We observed friendly and genuine relationships had developed between people and staff. One person told us, “I’m happy here”. Care plans described people’s needs and preferences and they were encouraged to be as independent as possible.

People knew how to make a complaint. They said they felt listened to and any concerns or issues they raised were addressed. Accidents and incidents were recorded appropriately and steps taken to minimise the risk of similar events happening in the future. Risks associated with the environment and equipment had been identified and managed.

Staff were asked for their opinions on the service and whether they were happy in their work. They felt supported within their roles, where managers were always available to discuss suggestions and address problems or concerns. One member of staff said, “We can always ask for help and always approach [the manager]. We discuss any concerns as a team, we always discuss it together”.

The service regularly asked other stakeholders to fill in surveys about the quality of the service and people’s feedback was included in plans for future improvements. There were effective systems in place for monitoring the quality and safety of the service. Where improvements were needed, these were addressed and followed up to ensure continuous improvement.