Archived: Meadowside Residential Home

Updated 25 October 2016

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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 28 September and 4 October 2016 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one Adult Social Care inspector.

Prior to the inspection we reviewed information we held on our systems. This included reviewing whether any statutory notifications had been submitted to us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law. We had asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). 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. The provider had completed this in February 2016.

We spoke to all four care staff working at the home on the days of inspection, as well as the registered manager and an administrator.

At the time of this inspection, 11 people were living at Meadowside. We met everyone living in the home and spoke to seven of them about their experiences at Meadowside.

We looked at a sample of records relating to the running of the home and to the care of people. We reviewed five care records, including risk assessments, care plans and three medicine administration records. We reviewed two staff records. We were also shown policies and procedures and quality monitoring audits which related to the running of the service.

After the inspection we contacted four health and social care professionals. We received one response. We also contacted the GPs and district nurses at a local GP surgery but did not receive a response.

Updated 25 October 2016

This comprehensive inspection took place on 28 September and 4 October 2016 and was unannounced.

Meadowside is close to the centre of Tavistock, a market town on the edge of Dartmoor in Devon. The home is a large semi-detached Edwardian house with accommodation on four floors. There are 11 bedrooms, two of which have en-suite toilets. Bedrooms are arranged over the four floors with bathrooms and toilets on each floor. There are two sitting rooms, the smaller of which is a smoking lounge. The main lounge is open plan and has a dining area and small kitchen area where people can make hot drinks and snacks. French windows from this lounge lead to a level garden which people have the use of. There is a large kitchen where meals are prepared by people and staff.

The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 11 adults who have needs arising from enduring mental health issues. At the time of inspection, there were 11 people living at Meadowside. Most people had lived at the home for a number of years.

The home had a registered manager who was also one of the providers. 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.

The service was previously inspected in January 2014 when the service was found compliant with all the regulations inspected.

Meadowside was well run by a registered manager and her deputy, both of whom had worked at the home for over 20 years. The ethos of the home was to encourage people to be independent and lead fulfilling lives, maximising their potential. There were regular checks to ensure the safety and quality of the service was maintained. People said they knew how to complain but had not had to do so formally.

People living at Meadowside described how much they enjoyed living at the home. Comments included “it’s lovely” and “I really liked living here.” People were encouraged to undertake activities both as an individual and as a group. Care plans were developed when a person first moved into the home. These care plans were updated regularly to reflect changing needs and people’s aspirations. People said they were involved in the development of these plans. Staff had a relaxed, positive and encouraging attitude when working with people, who they clearly knew well.

Risks to people had been assessed and plans put in place to reduce the risks. Most people did not require help with personal care, although some people did need help with their medicines. Staff had been trained to administer and record medicines safely.

There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staff had been recruited safely with appropriate checks being carried out before they started working. All the staff we met were enthusiastic about their role, describing how they enjoyed working at Meadowside. New staff were provided with an induction to the home. Staff were also supported to refresher training from time to time and undertake nationally recognized qualifications. This ensured staff had the right skills and competencies to do their job effectively.

Staff understood their responsibilities in terms of protecting people from the risk of abuse. Staff also understood their role in terms of working within the legal framework outlined in the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

People were encouraged to have a healthy balanced diet which they were involved in choosing. People were able to do some meal preparation themselves including breakfast and lunch. Staff supported people to address their health needs with health professionals including the person’s GP.

The home was well maintained throughout and people were encouraged to individualise their bedrooms.