Archived: Windward Nursing Home

Dartmouth Road, Stoke Fleming, Dartmouth, Devon, TQ6 0QS

Provided and run by:
R H Gunn

All Inspections

3 January 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

At our last inspection in October 2012 the provider was not meeting the essential standard of supporting workers. People were not cared for by staff who were supported to deliver care and treatment safely and to an appropriate standard. We took enforcement action and served a warning notice to be met by 03 January 2013. We visited the home on 03 January 2013 to follow up on the action taken by the provider.

Since our last inspection in October 2012 we were told that two newly appointed staff were being supported to work through a comprehensive induction programme.

Since our last inspection we were told by the manager that overall responsibility for staff supervision had been delegated to the deputy manager. The manager told us that one carer had received supervision in November 2012 and plans had been agreed for monthly supervision of all staff.

The manager, who was responsible for the appraisal of all staff, told us that no staff had received an appraisal since our last inspection and no dates had been planned. She added that no staff had received any training since our last inspection and no dates had been planned.

The manager was open about the lack of progress following the serving of a warning notice which required the home to become compliant by 03 January 2013. She stated that the main reason for the lack of progress was the prolonged period of staff vacancies. At the time of our inspection the home was not fully staffed.

2 October 2012

During a routine inspection

We asked a relative about their experience of care at the home and they described it as 'absolutely brilliant'. They talked positively about how their relative was 'washed and cared for'. They added 'I won't hear a word said against them (the staff).'

One person described the staff as 'So nice, kind and considerate. They have a joke and make you laugh.'

The home was clean and made to feel homely by the inclusion of people's possessions. Fixtures and fittings were of a basic standard and the home was reasonably well maintained. One relative described the home as 'not spotless but it's home'.

Nineteen out of twenty one people living at the service were indicated as not for resuscitation. Not all of these people had resuscitation decision forms in place and the appropriate process with regard to assessing a person's ability to make a decision had not always been followed in full. There was evidence of GP and family involvement.

There were gaps in documentation required for the safe recruitment of staff. Staff were not receiving appropriate support in the form of induction, supervision, appraisal and training.

18 October 2011

During a routine inspection

When we visited the home we found that the majority of people living there could not discuss with us at length their experiences of living at the home. Many people were very frail either physically or had some degree of memory loss.

One person we spoke to told us "I like it here" and another said "I am alright, comfortable, it's nice to be here".

As we could not discuss their experiences in detail we spent a period of time in the lounge observing the care that was being delivered and seeing how well people's needs were being interpreted and understood.

This showed us that staff were identifying people's needs appropriately, communicating with them well and using equipment to move and handle people correctly. We saw people being assisted to drink in ways that supported the independence they had.

The staff we spoke to told us about the ways in which they were developing communication with one person accommodated, but this was not always written down. As an example, staff told us that the person liked their bed sheets folded in a certain way to enable to have some independence in covering themselves up, but as this was not written down it may not be clear to all staff.

In two files we saw a "Personal choices" form which indicated for example the person's preferred gender of carer and these were partially completed.

We were told that relatives are involved in drawing up plans wherever possible and some files held some personal biography on people, which helps to interpret their actions and decisions in the context of their personalities and the lives they have lived. Newer information was being compiled which is more portable and so could be taken with the person in an emergency to hospital to ensure their needs and wishes are understood in a new setting.