Archived: Solent View Care Home

During this inspection we used a variety of methods to help us understand the experience of people using the service. We spoke with two people using the service and two family members. We also used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We saw staff interacting positively with people. We heard staff using people's names and speaking with them in a calm and respectful way. We saw staff offering people choices, such as what they wanted to eat and which activities they wanted to take part in. Staff respected people's decisions.

We found moving and handling plans had been developed and provided more information. We saw care plans also included individual risk assessments. These were relevant to the person and specified action required to manage risks. We spoke with four members of staff who demonstrated a good knowledge of people and their needs. People we spoke with told us their needs were met.

The provider had taken steps to increase the level of staffing in the evenings. People we spoke with told us there were enough staff to meet their (or their relative's) needs and that call bells were responded to quickly.

We spoke with four people using the service and two family members. They told us they (or their relative) had full control over their daily routine.

People's privacy was protected, but they not always treated with dignity and respect. One person told us, 'One or two of the staff can get a bit snappy, but it doesn't last'. We heard one person being spoken to in a way which did not respect their dignity.

People told us they were satisfied with the level of care. One said, 'The care is good, staff will do anything for you'. An external health care professional said of the staff, 'They are very good, very helpful and very caring'. However, we found moving and handling plans did not provide clear guidance to staff and one person's pressure injuries were not being managed effectively.

There were not enough staff to meet people's needs during the evening. One person said, 'There's not enough staff to take you to the toilet'. We spoke with three members of staff who each told us people's needs were not always met in the evenings.

Not all people were able to tell us about their experiences due to their mental frailty. We therefore also spent time observing care in communal areas. We found that people had positive experiences. We observed that staff were courteous and respectful of people's views. Choices were offered and where necessary informal consent was obtained. The staff supporting them knew what support they needed and they respected their wishes. The support that we saw being given to people matched what their care plan said they needed.

We also spoke with visitors to the service. They were positive about the home and care people received. We found that people received an appropriate diet, care plans were relevant to people and care records were well maintained. We found some concerns when we looked at medication and that good staff recruitment procedures were not completed as references had not been sought for all new staff.