Background to this inspection
Updated
13 May 2017
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 5 April 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.
This was a focussed inspection undertaken because the service was in organisational safeguarding and there were continuing concerns about the care of people living at the home. We wanted to be sure people at the home were receiving safe and appropriate care.
As this was a focussed inspection we did not request a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we held about the provider, in particular notifications about incidents, accidents, safeguarding matters and any deaths.
During the inspection we spoke with two people who used the service, the deputy manager and a care worker. We subsequently spoke with a second care worker on the telephone. We also spoke with the provider on telephone following the inspection. We also spoke with the agency that provided temporary staff to the home and the contractor who provided fire safety maintenance to the home.
We reviewed a range of documents and records including; care records, training records, medicines records and a range of other documents related to the safety and overall running of the home.
Updated
13 May 2017
This inspection took place on 5 April 2017 and was unannounced. A previous inspection had been undertaken in January 2017 where we had found two continuing breaches of regulations. These related to the regulations for Safe care and treatment and Good governance. The service had also been placed under organisational safeguarding because of a number of ongoing concerns. This inspection was undertaken to ensure people were being cared for appropriately and safely.
Ardgowan House Residential Care Home is the only location owned and run by Mrs A Jobson and is based in a residential area of Blyth in Northumberland. It provides accommodation for up to 10 people living with mental health issues, who require assistance with personal care and support. At the time of the inspection there were seven people living at the home.
This report only covers our findings in relation to the Safe, Effective and Well Led domains and the details around previous concerns and breaches of regulations. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for ‘Ardgowan House’ on our website at www.cqc.org.uk
The home is not required to have a registered manager because it is under the day to day supervision of the registered provider, Mrs A Jobson. A previously employed registered manager had recently left the service, although they had not formally deregistered with the CQC. Consequently their name appears on this report. Because of the organisational safeguarding concerns the provider had voluntarily agreed not to visit the home at the present time.
Because the registered provider had not been at the home a number of management issues, raised at the previous inspection in January 2017, had not been able to be addressed.
Issues regarding the safe management of medicines had improved. Maintenance of records had improved, with all entries now double signed and appropriate codes entered when medicines were not given. A local pharmacy adviser had recently visited the home and whilst highlighting some issues, felt the systems in place were adequate.
The home was clean and tidy. Communal towels, previously in use, had been removed from bathrooms and showers. Appropriate staffing levels were in place, including the addition of a sleep in care worker at night. Agency staff were used to support permanent staff, where appropriate.
Safety checks continued to be undertaken and fire systems were tested on a weekly basis. We checked with the home’s outside fire safety contractor that systems where still within appropriate checking dates.
The home was in organisational safeguarding and was regularly visited by the safeguarding team and other local authority staff. An update of all staff’s DBS certificates, previously started, had not been completed.
There was not always evidence staff had up to date training in the safe handling of medicines, although safety systems had been instigated by the deputy manager to manage the situation. Staff had received some additional training and most staff had received first aid and moving and handling training within the last two years.
The quality of food available at the home and choice of meals continued to improve. People were able to have breakfasts at whatever time they got up in the morning. People continued to be supported to attend health and social care appointments to maintain their health and wellbeing.
The day to day running of the home was being undertaken by the deputy manager. Staff and outside professionals felt the current situation was being managed well on a day to day basis. Other management issues, identified at the previous inspection had not been able to be addressed or progressed because the provider had not been at the home.
Whilst there had been improvements to the delivery of care at the home, we have not changed the current rating of the domains we looked at, or the service overall, because we wanted to be sure changes were sustained and the outstanding actions undertaken in due course.