Archived: The Hollies Residential Care Home

Providing accommodation and personal care for up to 24 people, The Hollies Residential Care Home is located close to Southport town centre. Accommodation is provided over three floors and can be accessed by stairs or a passenger lift. There is parking at the front of the building and a secluded garden at the back. Disabled access is provided at the rear entrance via the patio doors. The home was last inspected in May 2014, and was found to be compliant.

There was a registered manager in post.

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.

Everyone we spoke with at the home told us that they felt safe and secure.

Staff were able to describe the course of action they would take if they felt someone was being harmed or was at risk of harm. Staff told us they would not hesitate to whistle blow to the registered manager, the local authority or CQC.

Risks which compromised people’s health and well-being were appropriately assessed and reviewed when needed and contained a high level of detailed information.

There was a procedure in place for recording and analysing incidents and accidents.

Rotas showed there were enough staff employed by the home to deliver a safe, consistent service. We observed people were not rushed, and people told us there was enough staff to assist them when they required it.

Medications were managed safely and administered correctly. Medication checks were regularly completed there were systems and processes in place to report any concerns. We saw an example of this during our inspection.

Robust pre-employment checks were completed on staff before they started working at the home to ensure they were suitable to support vulnerable people and had the skills required for this role.

The home was working in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity act 2005 and all DoLS (Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards) were in place for those who required them.

Consent was appropriately documented for people who were able to give their consent and we saw there was a procedure in place for ‘best interests’ decisions to help those who could not consent.

People were supported to receive a balanced diet. Menus were varied and different dietary needs were taken into consideration.

Staff were trained in accordance with the provider’s own training and development policy, and training certificates were stored in staff files.

People had access to medical professionals when needed, both via the ‘Telemeds’ system as well as other healthcare professionals who regularly visited the home.

Everyone we spoke with told us they liked the staff and felt they received good care from staff who knew them well.

People told us they were well informed when it came to their care plans and they or their family members had been involved in reviews.

Care plans were personalised to take into account peoples individual needs and preferences. Care plans contained information about people’s cultural beliefs as well as any likes and dislikes they had.

Staff were able to describe how they protected peoples dignity and privacy when delivering support.

There was complaints procedure in place and we saw that complaints had been responded to. There had been no complaints in the last 12 months.

Audits or checks to monitor the quality of care provided were in place and used effectively to improve care provision.

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary is based on our observations during the inspection, discussions with people who lived at the home, their relatives, staff providing support and looking at records.

If you wish to see the evidence supporting our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

We found there were sufficient staff on duty to meet the needs of the people who were living at The Hollies. The environment had been assessed by an external organisation as being clean and hygienic. Systems were in place to check the environment was safe.

The manager had a process in place to review accidents each month so that a reoccurrence could be minimised in the future

The home protected the rights and welfare of the people in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act (2005). At the time of the inspection no Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications had been made. The manager had received training in the Mental Capacity Act (2005)

Is the service effective?

People told us they were satisfied with the care they received and their needs were being met. Everybody we spoke with was pleased with the care and support they received. They said staff acted promptly if they needed to see a health professional, such as the GP, dentist or chiropodist. One person said, 'The staff are very good with arranging appointments for you to see the doctor or dentist.'

A comprehensive care plan regarding personal care was in place for each person and it outlined the support the person needed during the day and at night.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and responsive staff. One of the people living there said, 'The staff treat me great. They are open and honest. I cannot praise them highly enough.' Another person said, 'The staff give you time and don't rush you. It's nice and relaxed here.' We also heard a person say, 'You can always go to them [staff] and they will listen and help you.'

Throughout the day of the inspection we observed care staff engaging with people in a positive, respectful and individualised way. Staff had a good knowledge of each person's needs.

Is the service responsive?

People's needs were assessed before they moved into the home. They were involved in decisions about their care.

People had access to activities they enjoyed, including activities within the home and trips out to the local community.

Is the service well-led?

The home had systems in place to regularly monitor the quality and safety of the service provided. Records we looked at demonstrated that action plans were developed to address identified shortfalls in a timely way.

People had the opportunity to provide feedback about the home by completing an annual questionnaire. The manager was planning to enhance the system of seeking people's views so that people had additional ways of providing feedback about the service. People's feedback and opinions about the food had been listened to and as a result changes were made to the menu.

Staff we spoke with said they felt well supported by management. They told us they received good quality training and had an annual appraisal.

Care records informed us that assessments and care plans had been developed for each person and these were reviewed on a regular basis. People confirmed they had been involved in decisions about their care, support and welfare. They told us they received their medicines on time.

Arrangements were established for ensuring the environment was safe and well maintained. Effective recruitment processes were in place.