Archived: Bank House Care Home - Sutton-in-Ashfield

On the day of our inspection there was a registered manager in place. 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.

People were supported by staff who could identify the potential signs of abuse and knew who to report any concerns to. Risks to people’s safety were continually assessed and reviewed. There were enough staff to keep people safe and people’s medicines were managed safely. However, more detailed guidance for the administration of ‘as needed’ medicines was needed.

People were supported by staff who completed an induction prior to commencing their role and had the skills, training in place and their performance regularly reviewed to enable them to support people effectively.

The principles of the Mental Capacity Act (2005), including Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards, had been followed when decisions were made about people’s care. People received a varied diet that took into account their food and drink preferences. People’s day to day health needs were met by staff and external professionals where required.

Staff treated people with respect and dignity and listened to and acted upon their views. Innovative ways to ensure people’s privacy were in place. People were involved with decisions made about their care and were encouraged to lead as independent a life as possible. People were provided with information about how they could access independent advocates. People’s friends and relatives were able to visit whenever they wanted to.

People were encouraged to follow the hobbies and interests that were important to them. Staff ensured people who were unable to join in with group activities were not socially isolated. People’s care records were person centred and focused on providing them with care and support in the way in which they wanted. Although some of these documents required updating. People were provided with the information they needed if they wished to make a complaint.

The registered manager was visible throughout the inspection and staff and people who lived at the home spoke highly of them. Relatives did feel that communication from the management team about their family members’ care could be improved. The registered manager led the service well and had a clear understanding of how to support people in a safe and effective way. Robust quality assurance processes were in place. People were encouraged to provide feedback about the quality of the service and this information was used to make improvements.

We found that people who used the service could be confident that staff knew them well and had been trained to meet their individual needs. Records and assessments we looked at reflected good practice guidance published by professional bodies such as the Alzheimer's Disease Society. We spoke with four people who used the service who all said they were happy with the care they received at Bank House.

We found that people who used the service could be confident that staff would support them to meet their eating and drinking needs with sensitivity and respect for their dignity and ability. We spoke with four people who used the service and they told us that they really enjoyed the meals, one person told us 'I have arthritis in my hand and staff help me just the way I need help, I can do most myself.'

We found effective systems in place to protect people who used the service from infection.