Archived: The Old Hall

The provider sent us an action plan and we went back to review what progress had been made. We spoke to three people who lived at the premises and two relatives. Comments included:

"It's a decent place, I can come and go as I please. I choose to be in my room most days and there is nothing stopping me from going up and down stairs. I get help when I need it. Sometimes the dust is a bit of a problem; no one likes dust but the staff are fine and helpful".

"People are understanding of the way the building is because the care is so good."

"[My relative] loves it here. The staff are wonderful. We have a big family and [my relative] gets plenty of visitors every day. I only have good things to say".

"I came to stay here recently. The decoration doesn't bother me and it doesn't get in the way".

We found at this inspection that additional works had been completed and some improvements had been made but the premises continued to be inadequately maintained. For example there was duck tape on the stair carpet, no window restrictors on some of the upstairs bedroom windows, an outside door was in need of repair and there were loose radiator covers. This meant that people continued to be at risk from hazards in communal areas.

We also went back to check that records were being appropriately maintained and were secure. We looked at four people's care files and found they were appropriately maintained. In one record reviewed there was no care plan about how to manage an identified need. However we spoke to staff who all knew what the need was and how it should be managed. We discussed this with the registered manager at the time of inspection and this was resolved immediately. We found that records were held securely in a locked cabinet in a dedicated office.

People we spoke with were involved in decision making about their care and were able to give consent, but the home did not provide any service user or relatives' surveys and there were no formal residents meetings or user forums.

People told us that they were very happy living at Old Hall and the relatives that we spoke with supported this. They told us "Yes I like it, the staff are good" "Lunch is a nice meal" "it's a nice bed, very comfy" "the building work doesn't bother me" and "I love it here and this is my home". One person's relative who visits the home several times a week told us "I know the staff and the residents, I talk with them regularly and the staff have time to care".

We looked at six of the care records. The assessment process was full, informative and person centred and the care plans recorded the care needs of each person. Some care records were not as clear as others and the registered manager was in the process of reviewing these.