25 July 2018
During a routine inspection
This inspection took place on 25 and 26 July 2018 and was unannounced. At our last inspection in February 2017 we found that the service was not meeting the required standards. We had found two breaches of the Regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance. Following the inspection in February 2017 the provider implemented an action plan. At this inspection we found that the actions had been met and the provider was no longer in breach of the Regulations.
Minshull Court Nursing Home is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 34 people. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided and both were looked at during this inspection. The home specialises in caring for people with dementia and advanced dementia leading to behavioural challenges.
The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who is 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 a qualified mental health nurse (RMN).
Risks to people’s health and wellbeing were managed to keep them safe from harm. Potential or actual risks were assessed and staff followed the plans put in place.
People’s medicines were managed safely. The registered manager was taking a number of actions to help improve their ordering and supply of medications and to try and control the room temperatures during this weather spell of excessive heat.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and preferences. Staff were recruited using safe recruitment procedures and processes.
There were systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. The service was safe although the fabric of the building was in need of a lot of refurbishment. The registered provider was developing a purpose-built building for everyone to move into in October 2018.
Staff felt supported and the training they received enabled them to be effective in their roles. Staff received supervisions to ensure a good quality of care was delivered and they received support from the management. Syringe-driver training was not available to staff but the registered manager assured us that this would be sourced to enhance the skills of the qualified nurses in delivering end of life care.
The provider followed the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) where people lacked the capacity to make certain decisions about their care. People were offered choices and options regarding their daily lives and staff supported people with their choices.
People were supported to access external healthcare professionals and other agencies to ensure their healthcare needs were fully met.
People were supported with their nutritional requirements and preferences. People who lived there and their representatives told us they enjoyed the food.
People were supported by staff who were kind, caring and compassionate. People who lived there had their privacy and dignity respected.
People were provided with an original and varied recreational and leisure activity programme. The activities organiser was innovative and caring. They adapted a variety of activities to meet the needs of the individuals they were supporting.
People and their representatives were involved in the planning and review of their care.
The provider had a complaints procedure and people knew how and to whom to complain if they had concerns.
There were regular staff, resident and relative meetings and the registered manager acted on feedback received.
Staff told us the Registered Manager was supportive and approachable.