Background to this inspection
Updated
25 June 2015
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 22 April 2015 and was unannounced.
The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included looking at notifications and other information we had received about or from the home. We also contacted the local authority contracts and safeguarding teams and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.
We usually send the provider a Provider Information Return (PIR) before the inspection. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We sent a PIR to the provider in August 2014, however, it was not returned. We discussed this with the registered manager during the inspection and found out the provider had changed their email address but had not informed the Commission.
During the inspection we looked at three people’s care plans, the medication records, three staff files and other records relating to the running of the home such as staff training records, meeting notes and maintenance records. We observed the delivery of care in the communal areas and spoke with two people who used the service. We spoke with two care workers, the registered manager and a visiting health care professional. Following the inspection we spoke by telephone with the relatives of two people who used the service and another visiting health care professional.
Updated
25 June 2015
The inspection took place on 22 April 2015 and was unannounced. At the time of the inspection there were 13 people living at the home. The last inspection was in October 2013, at that time the home was meeting the legal requirements of the areas inspected.
Ghyll Court Residential Home is a converted, extended property situated close to Ilkley town centre. The home provides care for up to 14 older people, including people living with dementia. There are 12 single bedrooms and one twin bedroom.
The registered manager is also the owner of the home and lives on site. 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.
People were protected from abuse and staff were aware of how to recognise and respond to allegations or suspicions of abuse. People’s legal rights were protected and the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards were met.
The required checks were completed before new staff started work and this helped to ensure people were protected from the risks of being cared for by staff who were not suitable to work in a care home. Staff were trained and supported to help them understand and meet the needs of people living at the home. There were enough staff and people told us staff were kind, compassionate and friendly.
People received their medicines when they needed them. With certain medicines it is important to record the time they are given to make sure there is an adequate gap between doses. We found the time of administration of these medicines was not always recorded. We discussed this with the registered manager who said they would take action to address.
People were provided with a comfortable and pleasant environment in which to live, the home was clean and free of unpleasant odours.
People were offered a variety of nutritious food and drink which took account of their individual needs and preferences and people told us they enjoyed the food.
People were given the support they needed to access the full range of NHS services which helped to ensure their health care needs were identified and met.
People’s privacy and dignity were respected, people were asked for their consent before care was delivered and staff were kind and caring in their interactions with people. People were supported to maintain their independence and where indicated had access to advocacy services. People were able to receive visitors at any time and relatives told us they were always made to feel welcome.
Staff knew about people’s needs and care was delivered in accordance with people’s care plans. People who lived at the home and/or their relatives were involved in planning care and people’s relatives were kept informed of changes in people’s needs.
People were aware of how to make a complaint and complaints were recorded and dealt with.
The provider/registered manager was involved in the day to day running of the home and promoted a culture of openness and transparency. The views of people who used the service were actively sought and action was taken in response to their feedback. Staff told us they were supported and enjoyed working at the home. Some improvements were needed to the systems for monitoring and assessing the quality and safety of the services provided.