Archived: Kingsdowne Residential Home

At the last inspection in September 2015 we found improvements had been made but there was a breach of a regulation regarding governance of the home. At this inspection we found the governance of the home still needed improving and therefore there is a continuing breach in this area.

Kingsdowne Residential Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 18 older people, some of whom have dementia and are in ill health. At the time of our inspection nine people lived in the home. The home is located in Hadley Green.

The registered manager had been in post since 1995. 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 an awareness of safeguarding and what to do if they suspected abuse. There had been no safeguarding incidents in the home for over a year.

The home was clean and odour free. There were some areas of the home that needed some attention. Some carpets were beginning to fray or had been taped up and it had been identified by staff that redecorating would benefit the home and the people living there.

People and relatives told us staff were kind and caring. We witnessed caring interactions during the day. There were enough staff during on shift to meet the needs of people.

There was a range of appetising looking food on offer. People had drinks within reach and were supported at mealtimes where they wanted it.

Not all needs and risks were captured on risk assessments and care plans. Where a support need had been identified there weren’t always clear actions in place for staff to know how to meet that need.

There was some person centred information in care files where families were involved and staff knew people and their needs well.

Activities were not varied or tailored to the likes and dislikes we saw in people’s care files. People were not stimulated during the day, and told us they liked the activities worker that came in but wanted to go out more.

During this inspection we found the audit systems to improve care were not robust and therefore improvements were still needed in the area of governance.

You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. During our inspection we observed interaction between staff and people at lunch time, in communal areas and in the garden. There was a good rapport and staff were caring.

We spoke with two people using the service and two relatives of another person using the service. No one expressed safeguarding concerns regarding staff or other people using the service. Both people using the service told us that they felt safe.

None of the people we spoke with expressed any concerns regarding staff training or level of staff skill required to do the job.

The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service. The provider had a complaints log and we saw that the last complaint received had been promptly and fully investigated to the complainant's satisfaction.

People who use the service said they felt safe in the home. Arrangements were in place to ensure that people who use the service are protected from abuse. Staff we spoke to were knowledgeable regarding their roles and responsibilities and the individual needs of people who use the service.

People who use the service said they were happy with the accommodation provided. Their bedrooms and the communal areas visited by us had been kept clean. The home was well maintained and fire safety measures were in place.

People who use the service indicated that staff were capable. There was documented evidence of ongoing staff training.