Archived: Dowty House

The provider had recently completed extensive refurbishment and in places had reconfigured spaces within the home to improve facilities for people. For example, this had provided some bedrooms with adjoining private shower / toilet facilities and other bedrooms with designated and private shower / toilet facilities along the same corridor. The main lounge had been fully refurbished and a smaller quiet lounge formed from an existing office. The main garden had been improved and an unused space off the main lounge turned into a sheltered courtyard style seating area. The registered manager explained the home was having a rest from refurbishment but a second phase was planned. This would see the refurbishment of further bedrooms, bathrooms and the dining room.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

People were happy, felt safe and felt cared for. People’s risks were identified and managed well and their care needs were met exceptionally well. People were cared for by staff that knew them really well and who had been very well trained to support people. Where at all possible people were involved in the planning of their care. If this was not possible people’s representatives were encouraged to be involved. People’s care plans were extensive and highly personalised which helped staff deliver the support people wanted and needed. There were enough staff on duty to be able to do this. For some people, this had resulted in real improvements to their health and abilities which in turn had meant people had become more independent. People had very good access to health care professionals when they needed this and their medicines were managed well.

Those who mattered to people such as family members and friends were welcomed and also supported as needed. Family involvement was encouraged and staff communicated well with people’s representatives, keeping them informed of any changes in their relative’s health or care. People were encouraged and supported to be part of the local community.

Staff were constantly looking for ideas on how to improve people’s quality of their life. People’s likes, dislikes, preferences and aspirations were explored with them. Staff worked hard to make sure, that where it were possible, people had opportunities to lead as full a life as possible. They made sure daily activities were tailored to meet people’s preferences and abilities. Staff made sure people had opportunities to enjoy themselves. People’s suggestions and ideas were sought and valued when it came to planning these opportunities.

Staff were extremely well supported and valued by the provider who invested well in their training and welfare. There was a strong sense of “family” and team work. Staff were proud of the work they did and were fully committed to ensuring people were at the centre of everything that took place at Dowty House.

There were effective quality monitoring arrangements in place which ensured a continued high standard of care and service. People’s feedback, including that of their visitors, of health care professionals and the staff was sought and their comments used to plan future improvement. People were able to raise their dissatisfaction or make a complaint and know this would be listened to. Issues raised were investigated and resolved where possible and reflected on to ensure they were not repeated.

The registered manager was a strong and experienced leader who had a clear vision about the direction of the service. She was highly committed to improving people’s lives and ensuring people had the best care they could receive. She therefore expected high standards from the staff who were as committed to these values as the registered manager was. The registered manager and her senior staff were very much part of the overall care team in Dowty House. They were very involved in people’s care, visible and approachable. Staff in Dowty House saw themselves as part of one large extended family which included the people who lived there and the provider.

People confirmed they had opportunities to express their preferences and make choices and that staff listened to them. We observed people taking part in activities that they had chosen. Meetings had been held so that people using the service could have a say about things that affected them.

People's needs were being met but record keeping, relating to people's care required improvement. The provider had already made us aware of this shortfall and had told us how this would be addressed. During the inspection we found that some people's care plans and assessments required more immediate improvement. This was because of the level of care they required and/or their potential risks. The provider agreed and subsequently made arrangements for these improvements to be completed earlier than originally stated. The provider had already been effectively monitoring records relating to medicines and actions taken had resulted in improvements to these records.

There were arrangements in place to safeguard people. There were also arrangements in place to ensure they were cared for in a safe and clean environment.