10 July 2012
During a themed inspection looking at Dignity and Nutrition
The inspection team was led by a CQC inspector joined by a Professional Medical Practitioner.
To help us to understand the experiences patients have we used our Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI) tool. The SOFI tool allows us to spend time watching what is going on in a service and helps us to record how patients spend their time, the type of support they get and whether they have positive experiences.
We did a SOFI observation of the lunch meal time in one of the five dining areas. We saw care workers and people who used services interacted very well with each other. Carer workers and nurse's ensured people were able to contribute to choosing what they wanted to eat. All people were given the opportunity to voice their views and opinions and staff assisted people sensitively and at a pace suitable to the individual.
During this themed inspection visit, we spoke to ten people who used the service and three relatives. This is what they told us: People who used the service said they were given appropriate information and support regarding their care or treatment. Each person had a written contract and a statement of their terms and conditions with the provider. No-one had moved into the home without having had their personal needs assessed. They had been assured by the senior staff these needs would be met.
People told us they had been involved and had contributed to the pre-admission assessment. People told us their privacy and dignity was upheld by staff working in the home.
The 10 people we spoke with on the day of the inspection all said they had a choice of at least two hot meals each day. People said portion sizes were good. They said they never felt hungry or thirsty.
Three people told us 'We are offered three cooked meals each day, and lots of snacks and drinks between meals.' All said the meals were excellent.
Another person told us 'I prefer to eat in private and this has never been a problem, they respect my wishes and privacy.'
All the people we spoke with told us they felt safe and well cared for living at Belle Vue Nursing Home. One person said "I feel very safe and protected living here, I don't have to worry about anything", and other people confirmed they didn't feel at risk within the home. People were also clear about how and who to report any concerns about their safety to.
People told us they were well supported by the staff team and were happy with the care, treatment and support they received. We spoke with one visitor who told us the care their relative received was excellent. They told us staff kept them fully informed about their relatives wellbeing and support needs.Two others visitors told us they were satisfied with the care their relative's recevied