Background to this inspection
Updated
22 June 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider was 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 24 May 2016.
The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and an expert-by-experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. The expert-by-experience supporting this inspection had personal experience of caring for someone who used services.
Before the inspection visit we looked at all the information we held about the service. This included notifications of significant events. In addition, the provider sent us a Provider Information Return (PIR) in August 2015. The PIR 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.
During the inspection visit we spoke with 13 people who used the service, three visiting relatives and friends, one volunteer, two visiting healthcare professionals and the staff on duty, who included the registered manager, a senior care assistant, care assistants, kitchen and maintenance staff. We also spoke with the provider's director of residential services who was visiting the service on the day of the inspection.
We looked at records the provider used for managing the service, which included the care records for seven people, staff recruitment files for five members of staff, staff training and supervision records, records of accidents, incidents and complaints and the provider's audits of the service. We also looked at the way in which medicines were managed, which included observation of administration, storage and records. We observed how people were being cared for and supported. We looked at the environment, equipment within this and how this was maintained.
Updated
22 June 2016
The inspection took place on 24 May 2016 and was unannounced.
The last inspection took place on 19 May 2014 when we found no breaches of Regulation.
Sherwood House is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 35 older people. At the time of the inspection 29 people were living at the home. Some of these people were having a temporary stay at the service and were due to return home or were making enquiries about a more permanent stay. Some people were living with the experience of dementia. The service did not employ nursing staff and any specific nursing needs were met by visiting community nurses. Sherwood House is managed by the Walton-on-Thames Charity, a charitable organisation set up to provide support and care for people living in the Walton-upon-Thames area. Sherwood House is the charity's only residential home; however they also provide support within two sheltered housing schemes.
There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they were happy at the home and liked living there. They found the staff kind, caring and supportive. People told us they would recommend the home to others.
People were sometimes placed at risk because the provider had not always assessed, recorded or monitored.
Although people found the staff kind and caring, we observed some care which did not show people respect. On some occasions the staff were focussed on the task they were performing rather than the person they were caring for.
People with dementia and complex social and emotional needs did not always receive the care and support they needed to meet these needs.
The records of care provided were not always accurate or up to date and therefore the provider was unable to monitor whether this care had met their needs.
People received medicines as prescribed but some of the practices around medicine recording, storage and administration were not always safe.
You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.
The staff were appropriately trained, supported and employed in sufficient numbers to meet people's needs.
The manager and provider were responsive to feedback from people who used the service, staff and others and had taken action to improve the service when problems were identified.