Dalvey House

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

People told us they felt safe and happy at Dalvey House. Risks to people were identified, assessed, and planned for. Staff knew people well and understood how to manage people’s health risks to ensure they remained safe. Staff recruitment systems were robust and there were enough appropriately skilled and trained staff to support people’s needs.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

We did not look at Learning culture during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safe systems, pathways and transitions during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Safeguarding during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People told us staff knew how they preferred their care and support to be given and involved them in their daily care. People were confident any risks to their health were managed well by the staff team. One person said, “I feel safe as we have all of this home and the gardens, It’s safe.” Another person told us, “They keep me busy and involve me.”

Staff spoke knowledgably regarding maintaining people’s health and managing risks to ensure they were cared for safely. Staff told us they had information and instructions available to them to ensure people’s risks were well managed. A member of staff explained how they followed guidance documents and provided constant reassurance for people, they told us, “We explain everything to people. When we have to transfer people from say their bed to a chair, we constantly tell them what we are doing and what we need to do to reassure them. We have about 4 or 5 people that need transferring from their bed, and they are all happy with the process.”

Staff supported people in a calm and friendly way. Staff knew people well and spent time talking with them, checking they were comfortable and had everything they needed. We observed many interactions during the assessment and all safety measures were carried out by staff. For example, when supporting people to transfer using equipment.

Risks to people were assessed and regularly reviewed. Policies and procedures around risk management were in place and followed. The registered manager was in the process of reviewing people’s risk assessments and plans to ensure they were up to date. Risk assessments covered all areas of potential risk and included, falls, mobility, nutrition and skin integrity.

We did not look at Safe environments during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

People told us there were enough staff on each shift to care for them safely. People showed us how they could use their call bell if they needed to and said staff attended them when they needed them. One person said, “We speak to the registered manager if we need to, she is really nice. There is a good feeling in this home.” Another person said, “There are enough staff, and they are lovely.” We received many positive comments from people regarding the staff team, comments included, “The staff are brilliant here, there are enough staff” and “Everyone is nice here, there are enough staff, it’s a nice place.”

Without exception every staff member we spoke with told us there were safe levels of staff on each shift. One member of staff told us, “There are enough staff to keep everyone safe. We have 4 staff on in the morning shift and 4 on in the afternoon and 2 staff on at night. We also have a chef, a cleaner and the manager as well.” Staff told us they received all of their required training which was delivered both in a classroom setting and also online. Staff said the training was well delivered and useful. A member of staff told us, “I’m up to date on all the training. Some is done face to face and some is online. We also have an independent training consultant for mobility and first aid training and all the practical courses. It’s good training.”

During the assessment the home was fully staffed, with staff allocated in accordance with the planned rotas. Staff supported people promptly with patience and kindness. Call bells were answered in a timely way and although busy, staff did not appear rushed, they knew people well and spent time ensuring people had everything they needed.

The provider had a recruitment process in place. Staff were recruited safely and employed in appropriate numbers to ensure people were cared for safely. Recruitment procedures ensured the required checks were carried out on staff before they commenced their employment. This included enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks for adults. DBS checks provide information including details about convictions and cautions held on the police national computer. The information helps employers make safer recruitment decisions. Training records showed staff had the necessary training, skills and knowledge to carry out their roles. Supervision and appraisal sessions ensured staff received the support and guidance they needed to provide safe and effective care and support.

We did not look at Infection prevention and control during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.

We did not look at Medicines optimisation during this assessment. The score for this quality statement is based on the previous rating for Safe.