We carried out a review of the data available to us about Castle Park on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Castle Park, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
The service had signage displayed on the main entrance to alert visitors to restrictions on entering the building and the infection control measures they would need to take. Sanitising hand gel was provided outside the building and a meet and greet policy initiated once inside the building. This included measures such as temperature taking, ensuring correct personal protective equipment (PPE) was used and an escort to a hand wash station.
Visits were arranged in line with government guidance and facilities were under construction to accommodate visits during winter.
People were supported to join in activities to maintain their wellbeing. Measures were in place to ensure they kept in touch with family and friends. Staff supported social distancing arrangements.
There were good systems of testing for covid-19 for people and staff. Appropriate measures were in place when people were admitted to the service to ensure they, and other people, remained safe.
Staff wore PPE in line with government guidance and designated areas were set up within the service for staff to remove and apply PPE.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.
Castle Park is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 24 people who may live with a physical and/or learning disability at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 27 people.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
There was a warm and welcoming atmosphere in the home. There were enough well-trained staff to meet people’s needs and keep people safe.
Many staff had worked at the service for a long time and knew people very well. Staff spent meaningful time with people and arranged activities they enjoyed.
Staff supported people to eat and drink well and meal times were a pleasant and relaxed experience. People with more complex needs received the help they needed to maintain a well-balanced diet.
Staff spoke highly of the support they received from the registered manager and the provider to develop their skills and knowledge.
There were systems and processes in place to support learning and continuous improvement in the service.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 24 July 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.
At the last inspection on 06 and 07 October 2014, the service was rated ‘Good’. At this inspection, we found the service remained ‘Good’.
People we spoke with told us they felt safe whilst living at Castle Park. The registered manager had good environmental and personal care risk assessments to underpin this. Staff were able to outline what they would do to report concerns should they identify potential abuse, harm or poor practice.
The registered manager had systems to protect people from unsafe management of their medicines. Associated recordkeeping was completed correctly and we found nurses were trained and competency tested.
Records we looked at evidenced the provider followed safe procedures to ensure they recruited suitable staff to support vulnerable people. We found staffing levels were sufficient to meet people’s requirements in a timely manner. The provider delivered an extensive training programme, including refresher guidance, to underpin staff knowledge and skills.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Care records we looked at contained risk assessment and monitoring documentation to protect people from the risks of malnutrition and dehydration. Those who lived at Castle Park told us staff consistently offered them choice at mealtimes and they enjoyed their meals.
Throughout our inspection, we observed staff approached people with a calm and non-confrontational attitude. They understood the principles of assisting each person to have meaningful and as independent lives as possible. One staff member told us, “I love my job because giving a little TLC to residents goes a long way and makes a difference in their lives.”
The registered manager guided staff to support people in line with their requirements and wishes. Care records we looked at were personalised and contained detailed life histories of each person who lived at Castle Park. Documentation was reviewed and updated with people and their representatives. This ensured responsive care planning matched their ongoing needs.
The registered manager completed a wide range of audits to assess quality assurance. To underpin this, we found the management team was proactive in gaining feedback from staff, people who lived at the home and visitors. We saw evidence of the registered manager taking action to address identified issues and to improve and develop the service.
We undertook this unannounced inspection on the 6 and 7 October 2014. The last inspection was completed on 18 November 2013 and no actions were required.
Castle Park can support up to 27 people who have physical and/or learning disabilities; there were 22 people resident at the time of the inspection. It is a single storey building with bedrooms designed for single occupancy, 10 of which have en-suite facilities. There are sufficient bathrooms and communal rooms for people to use. Castle Park is situated on a residential estate and is close to bus routes into Hull city centre.
The service had a registered manager who had been in post since February 2014. 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 lived in a safe environment. Staff knew how to protect people from abuse and they ensured that equipment used in the service was checked and maintained. Staff made sure that risk assessments were carried out and took steps to minimise risks without taking away people’s right to make decisions.
There were sufficient staff on duty day and night to meet people’s needs. Staff, which consisted of qualified nurses, care workers and ancillary workers, received training and support to enable them to carry out their tasks in a skilled and confident way.
When people were assessed as lacking the capacity to make their own decisions, meetings were held with relatives and health and social care professionals to plan care that was in the person’s best interests.
People had their health and social care needs assessed and plans of care were developed to guide staff in how to support people. The plans of care were individualised to include preferences, likes and dislikes. People who used the service received additional care and treatment from health professionals based in the community.
People spoken with said staff were caring and they were happy with the care they received. They had access to community facilities and most participated in activities provided in the service.
The registered manager monitored the quality of the service, supported the staff team and ensured that people who used the service were able to make suggestions and raise concerns. Staff involved people in decisions about the service.
We found people's nutritional needs were assessed and planned for. People told us they liked most of the food provided. Comments included, 'If I don't like it then they will get me something else', 'I would like more potato and chips', 'Some of it doesn't taste nice but I like the puddings' and 'The majority of food is OK.'
We found medicines were managed well and people received their medicines as prescribed.
We found there were sufficient staff to support people's needs. There had been some changes with management and staff but these had been resolved. People told us they liked the staff and comments included, 'They are nice', 'I like the whole lot of staff' and 'I go to bed just when I want. I press the button and staff come quickly.'
We found there was a complaints process and information about this was on display in the service. People told us they would complain if required.
We found there had been improvements made to the way important equipment was cleaned and stored. We found that areas of poor hand hygiene had been addressed in supervision and through observations of practice.
People spoken with said they were well looked after and consulted about decisions regarding their care. Comments included, "I understand what my care plan is and know what's in it" and "Yes I have seen my plan and have contributed to parts of it."
A visitor spoken with told us they visited every day and was very happy with the care their relative received. The visitor told us they would speak to the manager if they had any concerns and said they always felt safe during visits to the home. The visitor told us they found the manager helpful and knew they would deal with matters quickly.
People spoken with told us they were aware of how to complain and would feel able to complain. Comments included, "I have made complaints in the past and the staff have dealt with them quickly."
People liked the meals and said they were, 'brilliant'.
The people that could speak to us told us that they were able to make choices about aspects of their lives like what to wear, when to get up and go to bed and what activities to participate in.
People told us that they liked their bedrooms and the home. However, they also said that the level of noise caused by the building work had upset them.