Archived: The Newlyn Residential Home

Updated 18 May 2015

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 05 and 09 February 2015 and was unannounced. This inspection was carried out by one inspector. Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information included in the PIR along with other information we held about the service. We looked at previous inspection reports and notifications received by CQC. Notifications are information we receive from the service when a significant events happen, like a death or a serious injury.

We met and spoke with six of the people using the service and three relatives. We spoke with five care staff, kitchen staff, the deputy manager and the provider. During our inspection we observed how the staff spoke with and engaged with people. Some people using the service were not able to talk with us because of their health conditions so we used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We looked at how people were supported throughout the day with their daily routines and activities and assessed if people’s needs were being met. We reviewed four care plans and associated risk assessments. We looked at a range of other records, including safety checks, three staff files and records about how the quality of the service was managed.

We last inspected The Newlyn Residential Home in August 2013 when no concerns were identified.

Updated 18 May 2015

The Newlyn is a care home for older people who require residential care. It is registered for 13 people. The service provides residential accommodation and communal areas over three floors. Some of the bedrooms have en-suite bathrooms, with shared bathrooms and toilets for the rest of the rooms. The service is located in a residential area near Ramsgate. On the day of our inspection there were 13 people living in the service.

The service is run by the registered provider with a deputy manager. Both were present on the days of our inspection. The registered provider is a ‘registered person’ who has legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Risks to people’s safety were identified and managed appropriately. Staff knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse. Recruitment processes were in place to check that staff were of good character. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff with the right mix of skills, knowledge and experience. There was a training programme in place to make sure staff had the skills and knowledge to carry out their roles.

The provider and staff understood how the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 was applied to ensure decisions made for people without capacity were only made where this was in their best interests. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The provider and deputy manager were aware of a recent Supreme Court Judgement which widened and clarified the definition of a deprivation of liberty.

People and their relatives were happy with the standard of care at the service. People were involved with the planning of their care. People’s needs were assessed and care and support was planned and delivered in line with their individual care needs. Staff were kind, caring and compassionate and knew people well.

People were provided with a choice of healthy food and drinks which ensured that their nutritional needs were met. People’s physical health was monitored and people were supported to see healthcare professionals. People were supported to take their medicines safely.

The design and layout of the building met people’s needs and was safe. The atmosphere was calm, happy and relaxed. The risk of social isolation was reduced because staff supported people to keep occupied with a range of activities which included music sessions and quizzes.

Staff told us that there was an open culture and that they felt supported by the provider and the deputy manager.

The provider had systems in place to monitor the quality of the service. The provider had submitted notifications to CQC in a timely manner and in line with CQC guidelines.