Archived: Ravelston Grange Care Home

Ravelston Grange Care Home provides care and accommodation for up to 24 elderly people with residential care needs. On the day of our inspection there were 12 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Ravelston Grange Care Home was last inspected by CQC on 3 January 2014 and was compliant with the regulations in force at that time.

Accidents and incidents were recorded on individual report forms and a ‘Falls register’ was maintained by the registered manager to record any falls and action taken to prevent them.

Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service and described potential risks and the safeguards in place. The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Medicines were stored safely and securely, and procedures were in place to ensure people received medicines as prescribed.

The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service and appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out. However, some monthly checks were not up to date.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. The registered provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff.

Staff were supported in their role via an annual appraisal, supervisions and completion of mandatory training. We identified some gaps in training records however the registered manager confirmed this training was planned.

The registered provider was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and was following the requirements in the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff supported people at mealtimes. Care records contained evidence of visits to and from external health care specialists.

People who used the service and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Ravelston Grange Care Home. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

Care plans were in place that recorded people’s plans and wishes for their end of life care.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and care plans were written in a person centred way.

Activities were arranged for people who used the service based on their likes and interests and to help meet their social needs. The service had links with the local community.

People who used the service and family members were aware of how to make a complaint however there had been no formal complaints recorded at the service.

Staff felt supported by the registered manager and were comfortable raising any concerns. People who used the service, family members and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service. Family members told us the management were approachable and accommodating.

Following the inspection we met with the provider to discuss our concerns in relation to continued non-compliance.

The provider sent us an action plan that informed us they were making changes to ensure these issues were being addressed. Evidence gathered at this inspection showed that the provider had achieved compliance.

People we spoke with told us that staff were kind and they were well looked after. We observed staff engaging with people and talking to them with kindness and respect.

We had received concerning information about the maintenance at the home. We saw that the home was clean and tidy and there was an appropriate maintenance schedule in place.

Although there had been some improvement in relation to accurate maintaining of documents, the provider had not achieved compliance.

Staff knew people well and were able to tell us about people's care needs and choices. People told us the care was good.

Following the inspection we met with the provider to discuss the records.

We found that staff knew people well, and the care people received was good. However, not all of the records were up to date.

We examined the systems and processes in place for the safe management of medicines and found they were in order. We found there were sufficient staff on duty to meet the assessed needs of the people living in the home.

In this report there are two named managers. Mr Michael Crotty was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. His name appears because he is still the registered manager on our register