The Old Vicarage

Updated 28 March 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked 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.

Inspection team:

Our inspection was completed by one inspector and an expert by experience. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type:

The Old Vicarage is a residential care home. People living in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care which are both regulated by the Care Quality Commission. Both areas were looked at during this inspection.

Notice of inspection:

Our inspection was unannounced and the inspection was completed on 27 and 28 February 2019.

What we did:

Our inspection was prepared using information we already held about the service, for example, previous inspection reports and notifications. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

During the inspection we spoke with nine people who used the service and six of their relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, four care staff, the cook and a visiting health professional.

We looked at a range of documentation such as care files for five people and medication records for eight people. We looked at other records relating to the management of the service such as staff recruitment, training and supervision, quality monitoring, complaints management and safety checks. We went around and looked at most of the areas in the home including several people’s bedrooms.

Updated 28 March 2019

About the service:

The Old Vicarage is located in the Somerset countryside and is a residential care home that can accommodate up to 26 people. The service was providing personal care to 23 older people at the time of our inspection.

People's experience of using this service:

People were safe and protected from the risk of harm and abuse. Staff had received safeguarding training and there were policies and procedures to guide staff on what to do if they had concerns. Staff were recruited safely and there were sufficient staff to meet people's needs. People received their medicines as prescribed. The service was clean and tidy but some infection control arrangements needed reviewing.

The provider acted within the law when people lacked capacity to make their own decisions or when they were deprived of their liberty. Staff were unclear as to people’s legal rights. People's health and nutritional needs, including religious observances, were met and understood by staff. Staff received induction, training and supervision to ensure they understood people’s care needs.

People and their relatives described staff as kind and caring. We saw staff were patient and friendly, and people's privacy and dignity was maintained. Staff supported people to communicate their needs effectively. Staff were aware of the need for confidentiality and personal records were held securely.

People had their needs assessed and care plans developed to guide staff in providing people with the care and support they wanted. The initial assessments required more detail to be recorded. The care plans were updated when people's needs changed. The care plans highlighted what people could do for themselves and included a social profile, which indicated their important relationships, previous interests and work. People could remain at The Old vicarage for end of life care. The provider was responsive to complaints and concerns.

The service was well-led; there was an open and supportive culture. People who used the service and their relatives knew the registered manager's name and found them very approachable. There was a quality monitoring system to ensure any shortfalls in the service were identified and improved. People could make suggestions in meetings and surveys. The management team had developed good working relationships with other people and agencies.

The service met the characteristics of good in all areas; more information is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

At our last inspection, the service was rated "good." Our last report was published on 1 September 2016.

Why we inspected:

This inspection was part of our scheduled plan of inspection to check the safety and quality of care people received.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor the service to ensure that people receive high quality care. Further inspections will be planned in line with our scheduled programme of inspections.