Stanholm Residential Care Home for the Elderly

Updated 26 May 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Service and service type

Stanholm Residential Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Stanholm Residential Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about the service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who lived at the service, two relatives, two professionals and eight members of staff. This included the registered manager, the deputy manager, the cook, the activities co-ordinator, two care staff and the person responsible for maintenance. We reviewed a range of records including five care plans, accident and incident reports, complaints and documents relating to auditing and quality assurance. We looked at three staff files and multiple medicine records.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the registered manager to validate evidence found. We looked at policies and procedures that the registered manager sent electronically.

Updated 26 May 2022

About the service

Stanholm Residential Care Home for the Elderly is a care home providing personal care for older people, some of whom were living with dementia. The service can provide support to up to 26 people and at the time of the inspection there were 21 people living at the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they felt safe and protected from harm. Staff had completed safeguarding training and explained the steps they would take if they had concerns. Care plans contained risk assessments that covered all aspects of people’s support needs. Staff had been recruited safely and there were enough staff every shift to support people. Medicines were stored, administered and disposed of safely and guidelines relating to infection prevention and control and visiting had been followed throughout the pandemic. Accidents and incidents had been recorded, investigated and any learning shared with all staff.

Before people moved to the service the registered manager or deputy manager carried out thorough pre-assessments to ensure that the service could provide the care and support people needed. Staff had been trained to support people with different needs and were supported by managers. People told us they enjoyed the food provided at the service. Everyone’s nutrition and hydration needs were met. The cook was knowledgeable about people’s needs, likes and dislikes. Staff supported people with health and social care appointments. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff treated people with kindness and respect. People’s dignity was protected and privacy respected. We observed multiple interactions between people and staff during our inspection, all were positive. People were encouraged to make day to day choices and to be as independent as possible but were supported when needed with some tasks.

Care plans had recently moved to a computerised system. Care plans were person centred. People were offered a wide range of activities both in small groups and one to one, provided by a full-time activities co-ordinator. People’s communication needs had been considered as part of care planning and staff know people well and how best to communicate. A complaints policy was in place and this was accessible. People and relatives told us they were confident to raise issues. End of life care training had been provided and staff knew the important aspects of people’s care towards the end of their lives.

The atmosphere and culture at the service was positive. Everyone spoke well of the registered manager who provided a visible presence throughout the service. A robust auditing system was in place, made easier by the new computer system. Trends and patterns were quickly identified. People, relatives and staff had a variety of ways to provide feedback about the service and this was collated and acted on by the registered manager. The duty of candour had been complied with and the registered manager worked well with statutory partners and had a clear vision of continuous improvement.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 12 December 2020).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.