Archived: Elgin House

We did not speak to people who lived at the home at this visit but did at our previous visit where people and their relatives told us they were pleased with the care provided. People were given regular opportunity to share thier views about the home through meetings and surveys. People told us that they were treated with respect and involved in decision making about heir lives.

At this visit we found that the provider had taken steps to achieve compliance. This had been done through ensuring staff recruitment checks were in place and a quality assurance system had been introduced. This included a range of audits which the manager was completing on a monthly basis.

Previously we had found the confidentiality of staff and people had been compromised as records were not securely stored. We observed at this visit that a lock had been fitted to a cupboard where people's records were stored. Staff files had been removed into an office area where the key was held by the manager.

One relative commented positively on the lifestyle the person living in the home had. Two relatives told us the home had a 'family atmosphere' and people went out a lot and had 'The best quality of life possible'. We were told by all relatives we spoke with that they were all welcomed when they visited and were kept informed of significant concerns or changes regarding people in the home.

People were asked to share their views about the service at community meetings and surveys. The feedback given by people was positive on all aspects of the care they received.

We found that there were not robust recruitment procedures in place to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people/adults.

The home is a family run one which is managed with a high degree of informality. Whilst there were policies and procedures in place with a range of audits available to monitor the quality and safety of the service, the audits were not implemented.

We found that people's care records and staff personnel files were not stored securely so their confidentiality was not protected.