Archived: St Aubyns Nursing Home

Updated 18 March 2015

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 unannounced inspection was carried out on the 12 February 2015. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors. Before the inspection we looked at the information we held about the service including notifications they had sent us. We spent time observing the care and support being delivered. We spoke with seven people using the service, the relatives of four people, six members of staff, the deputy manager and the manager. We looked at records, including the care records of five people using the service, five staff members’ recruitment and training records and records relating to the management of the service. We also spoke with a GP and a visiting physiotherapist and asked them about their views about the home.

Not everyone at the service was able to communicate their views to us so we also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 18 March 2015

This inspection took place on 12 February 2015 and was unannounced. At our last inspection at the home, 01 October 2013, we found the provider needed to make improvements relating to the management of medicines, monitoring the quality of the service and records relating to people’s care needs. The provider sent us an action plan on the 7 November 2013. They told us they had amended the homes procedures for the management of medicines and there were new systems in place to auditing records and the quality of care and support people received. At this inspection we found that medicines were appropriately managed and people were receiving their medicines as prescribed by health care professionals. There were appropriate arrangements in place for monitoring the quality of the service that people received and accurate records relating to people’s care and support needs were being maintained.

St Aubyns Nursing Home provides accommodation and care for up to 39 older people, some of whom have dementia. At the time of this inspection the home was providing care and support to 29 people. The home had a registered manager in post. 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.

People using the service said they felt safe and that staff treated them well. Safeguarding adult’s procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported. The manager demonstrated a clear understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Appropriate recruitment checks took place before staff started work. There was a whistle-blowing procedure available and staff said they would use it if they needed to.

Risks to people using the service were assessed; care plans and risk assessments provided clear information and guidance for staff on how to support people with their needs. People and their relatives [where appropriate] had been involved in planning for their care needs. People were being supported to have a balanced diet. People received appropriate end of life care and support. When necessary additional support was provided to the home by a local hospice end of life care team.

There was a monthly residents and relatives forum where people were able to talk to the manager and provider about the home and things that were important to them. The provider took into account the views of people using the service and their relatives and staff through surveys. The results were analysed and action was taken to make improvements for people at the home. There was a range of appropriate activities available to people using the service to enjoy. People knew about the home’s complaints procedure and said they were confident their complaints would be fully investigated and action taken if necessary.

Staff said they enjoyed working at the home, they received plenty of training and good support from the manager. Unannounced spot checks were carried out by the manager to make sure people received good quality care at all times.