Archived: Farthings Residential Care Home

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People continued to receive safe care. There were enough staff to support them and they were recruited to ensure that they were safe to work with people. People were protected from the risk of harm and received their prescribed medicines safely. Lessons were learnt from when mistakes happened.

The care that people received continued to be effective. They were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff received training and support to be able to care for people well. They ensured that people were supported to maintain good health and nutrition; including in partnership with other organisations when needed. The environment met people’s needs.

People continued to have positive relationships with the staff who were caring and treated people with respect and kindness. There were opportunities for them to get involved in activities and pursue their interests. Staff knew them well and understood how to care for them in a personalised way. There were plans in place which detailed people’s likes and dislikes and these were regularly reviewed. People knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint and the provider had implemented effective systems to manage any complaints that they received.

People and their relatives were included in developing the service and found the registered manager approachable. There were quality systems in place which were effective in continually developing the quality of the care that was provided to them.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

There had been major building work at the home, for a prolonged period of time. This included an extension of the communal areas and an increase in the number of bedrooms in the main house. A person who used the service told us, "This is a lovely room now, much bigger and lighter.' (This was in reference to the lounge and communal area.)

We asked people who used the service if the on-going work was disruptive to them and one person said, 'I've been here all along. It was a bit noisy at times but now it's nearly finished. I think it's been worth it because the lounge and dining area is lovely.' Another person said, 'I will be so glad when it's finished. I know it's much nicer now but it's been going on all the time I've been here and now I am fed up with it.'

We looked at some of the records held in the service including the care plans for three people. We observed the support people who used the service received from staff. A person who used the service told us, "Someone spoke about my care plans with me.' Another person said, 'I have a care plan and some information in my room for staff to look at.'

We asked people if they were familiar with the complaints procedure and if they would feel confident to make a complaint. One person said, 'Regardless of the procedure, if I wanted to complain, I would. I'd move somewhere else if there was something wrong here.'

We asked a care worker if they thought people who used the service were safe and protected from abuse. They told us, 'Definitely. We have all been trained in safeguarding people and we know the procedures for reporting.'

We found people who used the service had been consulted with about their care plans. A person who used the service told us, 'I think someone spoke about my care plans. I think they must get bogged down with them, but you must take precautions.' Another person said, 'We talked through my care file. Everything is very good.'

There was a major building project underway at the home. This included an extension of the communal areas and increasing the number of bedrooms in the main house. A person who used the service told us, 'I like the different areas, it's nice having a reading area.'

A person who used the service said, 'Whoever selects the staff does very well to get the right person for the job.' Another person told us, 'Whenever I have needed a member of staff I can get one. But sometimes they are then rushing off to someone else.'

A person who used the service told us, 'I was told about the complaints procedure. I am not easily satisfied but I have no complaints at all.'