Archived: St Benedict's Nursing Home

Updated 4 April 2016

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 over two days 5 and 6 January 2016 and was unannounced.

The inspection team consisted of one adult social care inspector and a specialist nursing advisor (SPA). During our inspection we spoke with five people who lived in the home, two visitors, one healthcare professional and seven members of staff. We observed care and support in communal areas, spoke with some people in private and looked at the care records for nine people. We also looked at records that related to how the home was managed and care provided. These included administration records (MAR) sheets, training records and staff duty rotas for a period of one month.

Before our inspection we reviewed all of the information we held about the home, including the provider’s action plan following the last inspection and notifications of incidents that the provider had sent us. We did not ask for a provider information return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service.

Updated 4 April 2016

This unannounced inspection took place on 6 and 7 January 2016. The inspection was bought forward because of concerns about the care of people who were at risk of pressure ulcers and the arrangements for responding when people developed pressure ulcers.

The last inspection of St Benedict’s Nursing Home was carried out in September 2015. We found no areas of concern and the service was considered to be compliant at the time of our inspection.

The care home is registered to provide accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 60 people. There are two areas of the home: The Vicarage provides general nursing care and The Deanery provides nursing care to people living with dementia.

During our inspection the registered manager was present. 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 provider needed to look at the arrangements when providing medicines care to people with diabetes and where blood samples had to be taken. This was to ensure the safety of staff and prevent risk of cross infection.

The administration and management of medicines were generally safe and people told us they received the medicines they required “When I need them.” Staff knew how to act and respond to concerns about possible abuse and keep people safe. People felt safe living in the home and had trust in staff to act in a way which was respectful and protected their dignity.

People spoke positively about the caring, warm and friendly approach of staff which enabled people to have positive relationships with staff.

Care plans provided comprehensive information about people’s care needs and the tasks associated with those care needs. However there little or no information about the person’s preferences, likes and dislikes and routines so care staff would be able to provide care which was more person centred.

There was the required numbers of staff to support people and provide care and support promptly and meet people’s needs effectively. Risks to people health and welfare had been identified and action taken to alleviate risk. There were systems in place to respond effectively to people who were at risk of pressure ulcers.

People were supported to maintain their nutrition and the support of healthcare professionals was sought when required.

People were confident about the skills of staff to meet their care needs. Staff undertook training in areas which provided them with the skills and knowledge to meet people’s health and social care needs. Improvements were being made to ensure the skill, knowledge and competence of nursing staff were assessed thoroughly to ensure they had the necessary competence.

People were enabled to make choices and decisions about their lives and daily routine. Where people lacked the capacity to do so their rights were protected when making decisions on their behalf.

Staff responded with understanding and professionalism to people who experienced distress, upset or anxious behaviour.

There was a welcoming and friendly environment which helped ensure people maintained relationships with those important to them.

People were able to express their views and make suggestions about improvements in the quality of the care they received. People felt they could voice their concerns and would be listened to and action taken to address any worries, concerns or complaints.

There were audits in place and actions taken where improvements had been identified. The registered manager had identified where improvements could be made and staff spoke of an open environment.