Archived: Oldfield Bank Residential Care Home

We last visited the service on 14 August 2013 where they met all the regulations we inspected.

Oldfield Bank is a residential care home registered to care for 28 people, some of whom have a dementia related condition. Accommodation is spread over four floors and there is lift access to all levels.

The provider is a husband and wife partnership, Mr and Mrs Leavy. Mrs Leavy was also the registered manager. 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 registered manager was supported by the home manager and the administration manager.

People told us that they felt safe at the service. There were no ongoing safeguarding concerns. Medicines were administered safely. We found the storage of controlled drugs, which require stricter controls, did not meet legal requirements. This was rectified immediately after our inspection.

Checks were carried out to ensure that applicants were suitable to work with vulnerable people. This included obtaining written references and a Disclosure and Barring Service check [DBS]. We saw that staff carried out their duties in a calm unhurried manner and were available to provide emotional support to people.

The premises were clean. Checks and tests had been carried out to ensure that the premises were safe such as electrical and gas safety tests. We noted that the electrical installations certificate stated that installations were unsatisfactory and an electrician was currently addressing the deficits at the time of our inspection.

Staff told us and records confirmed that training, was available. An induction programme was in place. This did not demonstrate how staff were assessed as achieving acceptable levels of competence in all areas of their job role. We have made a recommendation about this.

There was a supervision system in place. Appraisals were not undertaken. The home manager told us that appraisals were undertaken as part of the supervision process. She told us that she would implement a separate appraisal system to ensure that support systems for staff were fully in place.

Staff followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Further improvements were required however, to ensure there was documentary evidence to demonstrate how the requirements of the MCA were met. We have made a recommendation regarding this.

People’s nutritional needs were met and they had access to a range of healthcare services.

Staff were motivated and demonstrated a clear commitment to providing dignified and compassionate care and support.

An activities programme was in place to help meet people's social needs. Several people told us that they would like to go out into the local community more frequently. The registered manager told us that this would be addressed.

There was a complaints procedure in place. None of the people or relatives with whom we spoke raised any complaints about the service.

People, relatives, health and social care professionals and staff were complimentary about the management of the service. One health and social care professional stated, “I would recommend this home to anyone looking for a residential home.”

A number of audits and checks were undertaken. We found however, that the service’s quality assurance system did not highlight the issues which we had identified such as the storage of controlled drugs, the positioning of bed rails, induction training and mental capacity assessments. We have made a recommendation about this.

Staff were very positive about working for the provider. They said they felt valued and enjoyed working at the home. We observed that this positivity was reflected in the care and support which staff provided.

People accommodated in the home received nutritious and well balanced diets. Good systems had been developed to provide safe support to people who had been assessed as at risk of malnutrition. Staff regularly sought professional advice from the Parkinson's Nurse, the Speech and Language Therapist and Dietician to ensure that people received appropriate and safe support to maintain healthy weights.

People who used this service were accommodated in a clean, hygienic and well maintained environment. A relative told us that Oldfield Bank was more homely than the other homes they had visited.

Systems were in place to ensure that robust checks were made during the recruitment process, to ensure that the staff selected to work in the home would be suitable for working with older, vulnerable people. One of the people we spoke with said, "The staff are lovely. They have a laugh with us and they can be relied upon to give us the help that we need."

A relative confirmed that they had been given information about the home's complaints system at the point of service delivery. They said, "I have never needed to complain. If anything can be improved it is dealt with straight away. I am extremely grateful that I found this place for my X."

The five people we spoke with said "Yes, my needs are being met. You only have to ask for something and it is done", "The staff are always very helpful. Nothing is too much trouble", "Staff make my relatives welcome when they visit" and "Staff help people to settle into the home very quickly."

Two people said, "My relatives visit me regularly. They like the home and know that I am happy and safe" and "I can talk to the staff about anything. They always take me seriously and do everything they can to make sure things are right."

During our visit we observed staff holding people's hands to offer comfort and reassurance where needed. We asked five people to tell us about the staff that provided their care. They said, "The staff are wonderful", "Very kind people", "They are friendly" and "I get on well with all the staff".

Two people commented "Yes, staff do listen to what I have to say and they will make changes to the way things are done. That is why I like it here. I feel part of one big family" and "This is a good place to live. We can have our say and nobody takes offence. My relatives are glad that I am here because they don't have to worry about me any more."