Archived: Choice House

Updated 29 September 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection. The inspection took place on the 12 September 2017.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the home. This included safeguarding alerts that had been made and notifications which had been submitted to us. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

We also considered the Provider Information Return [PIR] which the provider had completed before the inspection. The PIR 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. This document had been completed comprehensively and provided us with detailed information about the service.

During the inspection we spoke with twelve people using the service, seven people’s friends and relatives, the registered manager, nominated individual [supervises the management of the regulated activity], board member, a team leader, a senior care worker, seven care staff, the activity co-ordinator, chef, housekeeper and the member of staff who carried out laundry duties. We also spoke with a community healthcare professional and spent time observing engagement between staff and people using the service.

We also reviewed a variety of records which related to people's individual care and the running of the home. These records included; care files of five people living in the home, four staff records, audits, and policies and procedures that related to the management and running of the service.

Updated 29 September 2017

Edinburgh House is a residential care home for 51 older people. Some people living in the home have dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 38 people living in the home.

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People told us that staff were kind and they felt safe living in the home. There were arrangements in place to safeguard people from the risk of abuse.

We saw positive engagement between staff and people using the service. Staff were respectful and showed they understood people's varied needs when providing them with assistance with their care.

We found systems were in place to manage and administer medicines safely. Accidents and incidents were addressed appropriately.

People were supported to maintain good health. They had access to a wide range of appropriate healthcare services that monitored their health. People were provided with appropriate support, treatment and specialist advice when needed. People's nutritional and dietary requirements were met by the service.

Staff were appropriately recruited. They underwent a range of pre-employment checks to ensure they were suitable to work in health and social care.

Staff received appropriate training and support to enable them to be skilled and competent to carry out their roles and responsibilities.

People were supported to have choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People had the opportunity to take part in a range of activities. Some people had recently been on holiday with staff.

There were some systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality of the services provided for people. Some areas of quality assurance were in the process of being developed.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.