Archived: Duryfalls Residential Care Home

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

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?

People who used the service felt that they were safe in the home and staff responded to their needs. Staff from Healthwatch Havering (the newly established independent consumer champion organisation) informed us that during their recent visit to the home they saw that people were cared for in a safe environment. Records and staff indicated that the provider worked well with other professionals to meet people' needs.

Is the service effective?

People had their needs assessed and most staff understood what people's care needs were. People were involved in their care plans and decisions about their own care. Staff told us that management supported them and they had regular training and supervision.

Is the service caring?

People told us that staff were kind and respectful. We observed that staff asked people about how they wanted to receive their care and were respectful. We saw that people's preferences were recorded. However, we found that some people were not appropriately supported with their meals.

Is the service responsive to people's needs?

People told us they liked living at the home. However, two people felt that they did not have sufficient support with outings. Most of the people living at the home had representatives who were involved in their care and management of their finances.

Is the service well-led?

The home worked well with other agencies and services to make sure people's needs were met. The service had a registered manager who was supported by a senior member of staff to manage the home. The provider was also available at least two days a week to support staff and monitor the quality of the service.

People we spoke with spoke positively about the care provided at the service. We spoke to a relative who said 'I have no concerns and I am very satisfied with the care here. My mum looks well and is always well dressed.' Another person said 'I'm ok here, they look after me.' However, we found suitable arrangements were not in place for obtaining the consent of people using the service in relation to their care and treatment. This placed people at risk and did not protect their rights.

We found people were protected against the risks associated with medicines because the provider had appropriate arrangements in place to manage medicines. Medication practices ensured medication was administered safely.

Staff were not provided with the skills and professional development to enable them to deliver care and treatment to an appropriate standard. The management and staff had not received training on end of life care processes which they had implemented at the service.

People who used the service told us that they felt safe at the home and were well looked after. One person we spoke with said, 'I like it here, the staff are very nice people. They are not rude to me and I feel safe here.'

There was enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet people's needs. People we spoke with said that, 'staff are nice people and the management always take their time recruiting people.' A relative we spoke with said, 'the staff are really good, they are very caring and attentive. They do their job well.'

We found that people had their comments and complaints listened to and acted on, without the fear that they would be discriminated against for making a complaint. People we spoke with told us that they always felt comfortable in raising concerns and knew they would be resolved. One person said, 'if I had a concern I would have no problem raising it and I could always speak to the manager. I have never felt that I cant speak to them.'