The Kathleen Rutland Home

Updated 13 February 2021

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place. We will assess all of the key question at the next comprehensive inspection of the service.

Inspection team

This inspection was undertaken by one inspector.

Service and service type

The Kathleen Rutland Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

What we did before 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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 members of staff including the registered manager, care staff and administration officer. We were unable to gather people's views during the site visit as people were isolating. We spoke with three people's relatives by telephone who were involved in their family member's care and able to share views about the care and support provided.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found around infection control procedures and audits.

Updated 13 February 2021

About the service

The Kathleen Rutland Home provides care for up to 44 older people who have a sensory impairment or are living with dementia.

People’s experience of using this service:

After the inspection we received concerns in relation to the management of safety and risk for one person living with dementia who had left the service unsupervised and walked a long way on their own. This concern was being investigated by the local authority safeguarding team and by the provider's operations director.

People felt safe and were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff knew when and how to report concerns. Systems and processes were in place to identify and manage risk. Action was taken when things went wrong to reduce the risk of reoccurrence.

There were enough staff with the right skills and experience to meet people’s needs. People’s medicines were managed in a safe way. The service was clean and staff followed infection prevention and control policies to reduce the risk of infection.

People had their needs and choices assessed before they began using the service. Care and support was delivered in line with evidence based best practice guidance. Staff received the training and support they required to meet people’s needs. They had access to ongoing training and opportunities for professional development. People were supported to eat and drink enough and had a varied and balanced diet which they enjoyed. Staff recognized changes in people’s health and supported them to access the healthcare services they required.

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.

People received kind and compassionate care and support. They liked the staff and had developed positive relationships. Staff knew people well and understood how to meet their needs and how to provide comfort and reassurance. People were involved in making decisions about their care and support. People had their privacy and dignity protected.

Care and support was person centred and was delivered in the way people preferred and met their individual needs. Staff understood people’s needs with regards to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010. Information was available to people in accessible formats and staff communicated with people effectively. People were occupied with activities and were able to pursue their interests and hobbies. People knew how to make a complaint and would feel confident doing so. Complaints were investigated and used as an opportunity to learn and improve.

Staff had received training about supporting people at the end of their lives. The service had links with a hospice service for ongoing staff support and guidance about end of life care.

People and staff had confidence in their managers and felt supported. They told us the registered manager was accessible and approachable. There was an effective quality assurance system. Checks were carried out to ensure staff were following polices and procedures and people were safe. Action plans were developed when shortfalls were found and this contributed to continual learning and improvement. The registered manager was supported by senior managers from the wider organization.

People, their relatives and staff were asked for their feedback and this was used to develop the service and ensure it was meeting people’s needs and preferences. The registered manager and staff worked closely with healthcare professionals and other agencies such as the local authority to make sure people received joined up care and support.

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 28 June 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up:

We will continue to review information we receive about the service until the next scheduled inspection. If we receive any information of concern, we may inspect sooner than scheduled. For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk