Archived: Engelberg

Engelberg is a residential home. It provides accommodation and personal care for up to 34 people. At the time of the inspection, there were 31 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were supported by staff that were caring, compassionate and treated them with dignity and respect. Staff understood the needs of the people they supported and their communication needs. Staff we spoke with told us that providing people with a quality lifestyle was their objective. Staff told us they provided person centred care and we observed positive relationships between people and staff in a calm environment.

Risks of abuse to people were minimised because the service had robust safeguarding systems and processes. Staff understood safeguarding reporting processes. The registered manager had an oversight of current and historical safeguarding matters and communicated with external agencies when needed.

There were effective systems that ensured the service was safe. Health and safety checks, together with effective checks of the environment were carried out by dedicated staff. Some staff told us that although people’s needs were met this was not always timely. Plans to increase staffing numbers were already in process.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff understood their role and were confident when performing it through a continual training package. Staff at the service worked together with a range of healthcare professionals to achieve positive outcomes for people and followed professional advice to achieve this. Healthcare professional feedback we received was positive.

People were supported in the least restrictive way possible; the policies, systems and culture in the service supported this practice. Staff understood the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and applied the principles of the Act when performing their role. There were effective systems in place that ensured people who were deprived of their liberty were done so with the appropriate legal authority.

People's concerns and complaints were listened and responded to. Accidents, incidents and complaints were used as opportunities to learn and improve the service. There were effective systems at both service and provider level to share key events and incidents to reduce the risk of recurrence. Staff felt activity provision could be increased and recruitment for a new activities member of staff to achieve this had already commenced.

People and their relatives gave us positive feedback about the quality of care people received. The feedback on the leadership of the service and the registered manager was positive. Quality monitoring systems included audits, observation of staff practice and regular checks of the environment to ensure people received optimal care.

Rating at last inspection: Good (Report published November 2016)

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor the service through the information we receive. We will inspect in line with our inspection programme or sooner if required.

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

Engelberg provides accommodation for up to 34 people who require personal care. On the day of our inspection there were 31 people living at the home. We were advised that two people were in hospital at the time of our visit. People who lived at the home were elderly and had needs associated with old age and dementia.

There was a registered manager in post and she was present during our inspection. 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 felt safe at the home, and staff had received training to ensure they knew how to recognise and report any concerns. We found risks to people were managed in a way to keep them safe. We received mixed feedback from people about the staffing levels provided. We did not see that there was any impact on people due to the current staffing levels. People received their medicines safely and as they had been prescribed.

The registered manager understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff knew about people’s individual capacity to make decisions and supported people to make their own decisions.

Staff had developed positive relationships with people and they knew about their life and daily choices. People were encouraged to be independent and their privacy and dignity was respected. People were supported to maintain good health; we saw that staff alerted health care professionals if they had any concerns about their health. People knew how to make a complaint and were confident that their complaint would be fully investigated and action taken if necessary.

People described the registered manager as approachable and they said they felt the service was well managed. Arrangements were in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service, so that actions could be put in place to drive improvement. The management of the home was open and transparent.

We saw that people were consulted about their care. People we spoke with told us they felt included in their care and that changes were discussed with them.

Care plans and risk assessments were updated regularly to ensure people received the care they needed. There were a variety of activities designed to meet people's needs and maintain their independence. People told us they liked living at Engleberg. One person told us, 'I feel lucky to be here.'

People's safety was protected because there were systems in place to report safeguarding concerns and staff received relevant training. People told us they were satisfied with the care provided and said they felt safe. A relative we spoke with told us that their relative had, 'Lived with dignity and enjoyment', because they were there.

Relatives we spoke with said the staff were excellent. Staff we spoke with said they really enjoyed their job and that they were supported with relevant training to care for the people who used the service.

People experienced good quality care and effective systems for monitoring were in place. There was evidence that people and their relatives knew how to complain if things were not right.

We found that people were supported in making day to day decisions about the care they received. People's dignity was respected by staff. One person told us, "The dignity I experience is superb'.

The care people received was reflected in their care plans. Care was regularly reviewed to ensure it met people's needs.

The home provided a pleasant environment for people to live in. We saw that a number of safety audits were carried out to ensure people's safety.

We found that staff were recruited in a safe way and correct checks were carried out to ensure their suitability to care for people. One person said, 'Staff give professional care, which they deliver with love'.

The service had a clear complaints procedure which was accessible to people. People said they felt confident in reporting issues to staff and that they would be listened to.