28, 29 July 2014
During an inspection in response to concerns
Is the service safe?
Is the service effective?
Is the service caring?
Is the service responsive?
Is the service well-led?
This is a summary of what we found:
Is the service safe?
Staff we spoke with were able to demonstrate to us the actions they would take in the event of an emergency. For example, one staff member gave examples of when they had dealt with an emergency and said when a person is unwell they "make sure they are safe, one staff stays with them and another staff calls the ambulance." Another staff member was able to demonstrate they knew what to do in the event of a fire. People can be confident that there are plans to respond to any emergencies and that these are understood by staff.
Is the service effective?
People's needs were assessed before using the service and were regularly reviewed. People's individual needs, choices and preferences were reflected in their care plans. We saw evidence of this in people's care plans and staff were able to tell us about people's individual care needs. One stakeholder said in a survey "I found that the residents were very well taken care of, well done."
Is the service caring?
People and their relatives told us that the staff were caring and we observed that staff were friendly and respectful in their manner when they communicated with people. For example we saw staff greeting each person in turn and asking people about their well-being at the start of the shift. A family member told us the staff were "definitely very caring" and another family member told us the 'staff are very approachable, very caring.'
Is the service responsive to people's needs?
People, their relatives and friends were encouraged to give feedback through quality assurance surveys. A relative we spoke with told us that the provider had 'friends and family meetings every two months and [we] can flag anything up.' We saw the provider had a system to analyse feedback, compliments and complaints which was used to bring improvements to the service.
Is the service well-led?
The service had a registered manager who was supported by a senior member of staff to manage the home. We saw there were systems in place to monitor the quality of service and this included manager's observing the work practice of staff. The provider was also available at least two days a week to support staff and monitor the quality of the service