We met five of the six people who live at The Dales. We visited the home over the later afternoon and early evening, to ensure we met as many people as possible. We found that most people had lived in this home for many years, and were very settled and established in the local community. People told us how they were able to use local public transport and resources by themselves or with staff support.
People told us about the responsibilities they have for helping around the home and garden. People told us how they were able to raise ideas about things they would like to try, or see added to the menu for example. People were excited at the prospect of a forthcoming holiday, which had been their suggestion.
We found people were prompted or supported with their personal care, and that people completed this to a high standard. People looked smart, and were dressed in a style that suited their age and gender.
We looked at the opportunities people had to see healthcare professionals. We met an optician visiting people at the home, who informed us that people's eye care was well attended to. Records of other appointments being offered and attended had not been completed. We could not establish people had access to all the healthcare they needed.
We were informed that a safeguarding referral had been made about care provided in the home shortly before our inspection. This was being investigated, and the outcome was not yet known. We found that work we identified in February 2012 about the systems for managing people's money, and the system for recruiting staff had not been fully addressed. This meant people were not protected from abuse in these areas.
In February 2012 we identified moderate concerns about the handling of soiled laundry. We found that some progress had been made in this area, but that the facilities and procedures remained unsuitable. We looked around the communal areas of the home, and three people showed us their rooms. We found the home was cleaned to a high standard, and there were no unpleasant smells.
The home had a stable staff team who had mainly worked with people living at The Dales for many years. We again saw positive interactions between people and staff, and there was a lively, friendly atmosphere in the home. Staff had received training, to support people.
We raised concerns with the registered manager in February 2012, about the systems in place to audit the quality and safety of the service. The registered manager worked many of the shifts in the home, and held a wealth of knowledge about people and the operation of the home. This information was not always recorded, or available for audit. In February 2012 and again at this inspection, we identified issues that had not been picked up by the homes staff or management. This meant that the current system was not effective. We continue to have concerns about this area.