Archived: Fairmount Nursing Home

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

People looked well cared for and comfortable. A relative told us they were very happy with the care and support provided.

We observed staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People’s medicines were managed safely.

Risks to people’s safety and care were managed safely.

We also assessed infection control procedures within the home. We were assured that appropriate systems were in place to help keep people safe.

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 requires improvement (published 21 June 2019). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We undertook this targeted inspection to check whether the requirement action we previously served in relation to Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 had been met. The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains requires improvement.

CQC have introduced targeted inspections to follow up on breaches of regulations or to check specific concerns. They do not look at an entire key question, only the part of the key question we are specifically concerned about. Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection. This is because they do not assess all areas of a key question.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Fairmount Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Fairmount Nursing Home provides accommodation, care and support for up to 37 people over 65 years old including people living with dementia, people receiving end of life care and people on respite care. There were 31 people living at the service on our first inspection day and 30 people on the second.

People's experience of using this service:

People and relatives told us they had a positive experience with the care provided. One person said, “I would highly recommend this place to anyone, they are always pleasant and when I ask for something I get it.”

We found the service had deteriorated in the safe domain and continued requiring improvement in the well led domain since our last inspection. The service met the characteristics of requires improvement in two out of the five key questions. This was the first time this service is rated as ‘requires improvement.’

We found one breach of the regulations in relation to safe care and treatment because of risks to people due to inconsistencies in the management of medicines and management of some risks to people's care.

At this inspection, we found improvements were still required in how the service was managing people’s medicines. Medication was administered in a kind and person-centred way however, we found inconsistencies in the administration of thickeners prescribed to manage people’s swallowing difficulties and records did not always confirm time specific medication had been administered as required.

The management of risks was not always consistent. We found concerns with the support people were receiving with their moving and handling requirements. We could not be certain people who required specialist seating equipment to meet their postural and pressure relief needs were using the appropriate equipment.

There was a regular and varied programme of activities at the home and people spoke positively about the activities coordinator. However we found people, in particular those living with dementia, spent periods of time without being offered social stimulation.

The provider had several systems in place to monitor the quality of the service, but these had not always been effective in identifying or addressing the issues found at this inspection.

People and relatives spoke positively about the relationships established with staff. People’s care plans were personalised, however this information was not always kept secure. We made a recommendation about respecting people’s rights to dignity and privacy.

People were supported by staff who were motivated, enjoyed their job and felt well supported through regular supervisions and training.

The provider had developed several links with the community and partnerships to support care provision and service development.

Feedback from people, relatives and staff was positive and they felt the service was well-led. They told us the management team were always available to speak with and were approachable. The registered manager was responsive in addressing the issues found at this inspection and told us about plans they had to improve the service.

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

Rating at last inspection:

At our last inspection the service was rated Good (report was published on 28 October April 2016).

Why we inspected:

This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of visiting services to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people received safe, high quality care.

Further inspections will be planned for future dates.

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

Fairmount Nursing Home provides nursing and personal care for older people, including some people with dementia-related conditions. At the time of our inspection there were 32 people living at the home.

The service had a registered manager. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We found that there were established systems for protecting people from abuse and avoidable harm. The service responded appropriately to any safeguarding concerns. Measures were in place to prevent risks associated with people’s care. Care was provided in a safe, clean environment.

New staff were checked and vetted before they started working at the home. There was enough experienced staff to provide people with safe and consistent care. Staff were appropriately trained and supported in their personal development.

People were suitably assisted in meeting their health care needs and taking their prescribed medicines. A balanced diet was offered to ensure good nutrition and where necessary, specialist advice was obtained. Support with eating and drinking was provided and people told us they enjoyed the food.

People and their families were consulted about and able to direct the way their care was given. The service upheld people’s rights under mental capacity law when they were unable to make important care decisions. Feedback was sought and any complaints received were properly investigated and resolved.

People and their relatives were happy with the care and spoke highly of the staff. We observed staff were caring in their approach and respectful of people’s privacy and dignity. The service gave people the information they needed and supported them to express their views.

Care was planned according to people’s individual needs and preferences and adapted in response to any changes. A range of activities and good leisure facilities were made available to help people meet their social needs.

The home had a registered manager who was supportive and provided leadership to the staff team. They promoted transparent communication and were committed to improving the service. The quality of the service was checked to make sure standards were being maintained, though we have made a recommendation to reintroduce audits of the management of medicines.

The people who used the service and their relatives told us they were looked after very well and felt safe with the care and treatment provided. Their comments included: "I like it here", 'They are lovely' and 'It's like my family'.

We found that service had appropriate systems in place to ensure consent was gained before staff proceeded with personal care.

We spent time observing the lounges and dining area during the day of our inspection. We looked at how people spent their time and how staff interacted with people.

The interactions we saw between staff and people who used the service and visitors were respectful. We saw some people engaged in activities with members of staff such as arm chair exercises.