Mountbatten Nursing Home

Mountbatten Nursing Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care. The home is registered to provide care and accommodation to up to 30 people. The home specialises in the care of people who have general nursing needs. At the time of the inspection there were 28 people living at the home.

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

People felt safe and well cared for at Mountbatten Nursing Home.

There were adequate numbers of experienced and well-trained staff to keep people safe and to meet their needs. People told us staff responded promptly to any requests for assistance.

People received their medicines safely from trained nurses and senior staff who had received specific training. People told us they got the right medicines at the right time.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Risk assessments were carried out to make sure people received their care and support with minimum risks to themselves and others. The staff respected people’s rights to live as they chose if they had the mental capacity to understand possible risks.

The provider managed the day to day running of the home and there was a clinical lead who monitored and addressed people’s healthcare needs.

There were effective systems to identify shortfalls in the service and to plan improvements.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability. We found that staff were working within the spirit of this guidance.

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

Rating at last inspection.

The last rating for the service was good. (Published 30 November 2017.)

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

We undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has not changed from Good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Mountbatten Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

At the last inspection in October 2015 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated good

People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. One person told us, “I feel very safe because I know the girls [staff] all know what they’re doing.”

There were systems and processes in place to minimise risks to people. These included a robust recruitment process and making sure staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. There were adequate numbers of staff available to meet people’s needs and maintain their safety.

People received effective care because their needs were fully assessed and staff had the support and training required to meet their needs. Each person had a care plan which gave staff clear instructions about people’s needs and wishes. One person told us, “The manager came to assess me and gave me such confidence. I haven’t looked back since moving here.”

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were supported by staff who were kind and caring. People had formed good relationships with other people who lived at the home and with staff. This led to a happy relaxed atmosphere for people to live in. One person said, “I like to have a laugh and there are plenty of those here.”

The service was responsive to people’s needs and they were able to make choices about their day to day routines. One person said, “You can really do what you like here.”

People could be confident that at the end of their lives they would be cared for with kindness and compassion and their comfort would be maintained. The staff worked with other professionals to make sure people received the support and treatment they wished for at the end of their lives.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service, their relatives and the staff told us, what we observed and the records we looked at. If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.

This is a summary of what we found:

Is the service safe?

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. Staff that we spoke with were confident they understood the process involved and were aware of their duties and responsibilities under the deprivation of liberty safeguards. On the day of our visit no one living in the home was subject to DoLS.

People had been cared for in an environment that was safe, clean and hygienic. One person told us "It's lovely, I can talk to someone one to one, I feel very safe here". Equipment at the home had been well maintained and serviced regularly.

There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people living at the home and a qualified nurse was available 24 hours a day. The provider was available in the home to offer support on a daily basis.

Policies and procedures were in place, risk assessments had been conducted for all people living in the home. Staff we spoke with were confident that the training they had received as part of induction and mandatory training helped them to care for people living in the home.

Is the service effective?

People told us that they were happy with the care they received. It was clear from what we saw and from speaking with staff that they understood people's care needs and that they knew them well. One person told us "things are very nice here, we are a happy bunch and I do not think you can fault the place".

Staff had received training to meet the needs of people living in the home. The person centred care plans and risk assessments that we looked at suggested that the care provided was effective.

Is the service caring?

We observed people being supported by kind and attentive staff. People were treated with dignity and respect. We observed people being given time to do things in an unhurried environment. One person told us "Very well looked after here, they are very nice people and the food is very nice indeed. I get my medicines on time and I get any amount of drinks that I want". A visitor told us "the staff are lovely and caring, people are very well cared for and the food is superb" and "People are treated with respect and dignity".

Is the service responsive?

Records that we looked at confirmed people's interests, preferences, dislikes and personal history. Care and support had been provided that met their wishes. People's choices were respected. People had access to activities that were important to them and were supported to maintain relationships with relatives and friends.

Comments that we observed in thank you cards that had been sent to the home included the following; 'Thank you for helping to make it home' 'Thank you for your kindness and thoughtfulness' and 'Care was wonderful and faultless'.

Is the service well-led?

The home had a manager who is registered with the Care Quality Commission. Quality assurance processes were in place.

Staff received regular support and training. People had an opportunity to speak on a one to one basis with their key worker so they could discuss any suggestions for change, either in their care plan or in the home.

Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the home describing it as 'homely'. We observed a variety of policies and protocols to ensure the safety of people living in the home. One person told us 'It's very well organised here'.

People we spoke with were happy with the standard of care they received. One person told us 'I feel well looked after and am very happy with everything. '

People told us the home arranged for them to see doctors or other healthcare professionals if they were unwell.

During the inspection we visited several people who were being nursed in bed. We noted that everyone was clean and comfortable. To reduce the risk of pressure damage to people's skin, staff were assisting people to change position regularly.

People said they would be able to speak with the manager or a member of staff if they had any worries or concerns. One person said 'The staff are alright, you can talk to them and they listen.'

Recruitment files gave evidence of a robust recruitment process which ensured that new staff had the relevant skills and were of good character. The recruitment procedure also minimised the risks of abuse to people who lived at the home by making sure that all staff were thoroughly checked before beginning work.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service offered and ensure the safety of people who lived at the home.

There was always a trained nurse on duty who was responsible for ensuring that people's clinical needs were met. One visiting healthcare professional told us they felt the home provided a high standard of nursing care and involved other healthcare professionals when necessary.

We saw that people who liked to spend time in their personal rooms had access to a call bell. People said that if they rang their bell for assistance staff responded quickly. Throughout the day we noted that call bells were answered very promptly meaning that people did not have to wait for assistance.

All of the areas of the home we saw were clean and fresh. One member of staff took a lead role in ensuring that infection control policies and procedures were kept up to date.

People who lived at the home said that they would be comfortable to talk with a member of staff if they were unhappy about the care they received. One person said 'I would always speak with the manager, there's no need to worry about things.'