Our inspection looked at our five questions; is the service caring? Is the service responsive? Is the service safe? Is the service effective? Is the service well led? Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, speaking with people using the service, speaking with the staff supporting them and looking at records.
If you want to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.
Is the service safe?
We saw people using the service were treated with respect and dignity by the staff who had a good knowledge of their needs and preferences. Care and support was delivered in a safe way by staff who had received appropriate training.
Records were in place to monitor any specific areas where people were more at risk.
The company had policies and procedures in place to help protect people who used the service from abuse. We found staff had received training in relation to safeguarding vulnerable people from abuse.
Systems were in place to make sure that managers and staff learn from events such as accidents and incidents, complaints, concerns, whistleblowing and investigations. This reduced the risks to people and helped the service to continually improve.
Is the service effective?
People’s health and care needs were assessed on a regular basis. We saw people who used the service and their relatives had been involved in writing plans of care and these were reviewed and updated regularly.
People received a well-balanced diet and were involved in choosing what they ate. The people we spoke with said they were very happy with the meals provided. Specialist dietary needs had been assessed and catered for.
Staff had access to a varied training programme to ensure they could meet the needs of the people they supported. Staff told us they were well supported by the manager and attended regular staff meetings. However, records did not demonstrate that formal support sessions or an annual appraisal of staffs’ work had taken place consistently.
Is the service caring?
People told us they were supported by helpful, caring and friendly staff. We saw staff interacting with people in a positive way, enabling them to be as independent as possible while offering on-going support.
Care files contained person centred information that reflected people’s needs and preferences. We saw care and support had been provided in accordance with people’s wishes.
Satisfaction surveys and meetings had been used to enable people to share their views on the service provided. This helped the provider to assess if people were receiving the care and support they needed. People’s comments indicated they were happy with how staff supported them, and the home’s facilities.
Is the service responsive?
Care records demonstrated that when there had been changes in people’s needs outside agencies had been involved to make sure they received the correct care and support. For example, one person who was losing weight had been referred to a healthcare professional and nutritional supplements provided.
People who used and visited the service knew how to make a complaint if they needed to. No-one raised any concerns with us when we visited the service. People we spoke with said when any requests were made staff were quick to respond to them.
Is the service well-led?
At the time of the inspection there was a registered manager in post who had worked at the home for a long time. She told us senior care staff and the owners provided managerial support in her absence.
People who completed surveys in 2014 had written comments such as “The manager is very approachable”, “Extremely satisfied”, and “Wentworth Hall is a pleasure, clean and well run.”
There was a quality assurance system in place to assess if the home was operating correctly. This included surveys and audits. We saw action plans had been put in place to address any shortfalls.
Staff were clear about their roles and responsibilities. We saw staff had access to policies and procedure to inform and guide them. Staff training and development needs had been assessed to enable the provider to arrange future training sessions.