Dingle Meadow

Updated 3 October 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection was undertaken by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Dingle Meadow is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

Inspection activity started on 27 August 2019 and ended on 27 August 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information we held about the service to plan the inspection. This included checking for any statutory notifications that the provider had sent to us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law. We used this information to plan our inspection. We also used information the provider sent to us in the Provider Information Return (PIR) to formulate our inspection plan. A PIR is key information we require from providers on an annual basis giving us key information about the service. We also sought feedback from the local Healthwatch and the local authority. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with eight people who used the service and seven relatives. We also spoke with the area director, the registered manager, the deputy manager and two support staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and medicine administration records. We also looked at quality assurance records, as well as one recruitment and training record.

Following the inspection, we received written feedback from a health professional who had recently worked with the registered manager.

Updated 3 October 2019

About the service

Dingle Meadow is a care home that provides accommodation and personal care for up to 46 older people. Some people live with dementia. On the day of the inspection, 43 people were living at the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People received safe care and support and were well looked after. Risks were assessed and managed effectively to enable people to remain safe. Staff were vigilant to identify risks and take appropriate action.

Overall people received timely support from a consistent staff team. People received their medicines as required and systems used for the management of medicines were effective.

People’s needs were assessed and reviewed to ensure their care needs were met. Care plans were detailed and effective to ensure staff always had access to relevant information.

Staff received training relevant to their role and had good support from the registered manager and their colleagues. Staff had the skills and experience to deliver effective care.

Staff sought people’s consent before supporting them and decisions about people’s care and treatment were made in line with law and guidance. People enjoyed their meals and received enough to eat and drink to maintain their health. People were supported to access healthcare, and other agencies, when required. The registered manager worked in partnership with health and social care professionals to provide consistency and ensure people received appropriate support.

People’s care was responsive to their changing needs. People, and their relatives, were involved in the assessment and planning of care and there were opportunities throughout the day for staff to share information. People knew how to raise a concern and always felt listened to.

People, relatives and staff felt the service was well managed. Everyone had regular opportunities to share their views about the service. People were involved and consulted about how the home was run. The provider and the registered manager carried out regular audits and checks to ensure the quality of care provided.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Why we inspected:

This was a scheduled inspection based on the previous rating.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published August 2016).

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.