Archived: Abbeywood Care Home

We carried out this responsive inspection because Abbeywood had not met the standards required on the last inspection. Also in response to information of concern indicating that Abbeywood had breached the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated activities) Regulations 2010. We carried out this inspection over two days, checking if non-compliance had been improved and looking at issues of concern.

At the last inspection, in August 2013, the provider and registered manager were told improvements to the homes record keeping and quality assurance were needed. We requested a written action plan by 23rd September 2013, informing us how the home would become compliant. We did not receive this on time. Written action plans are required under the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010. We reminded the provider and registered manager of their obligations and received the written action plan on 25th October 2013. They told us that they would be compliant by 30th November 2013.

On this inspection we looked at care and welfare, management of medicines, safeguarding, records, staff recruitment and staff support and management of the home. We spoke with the manager, staff and people who lived in the home.

We observed care and spoke with people during this inspection. Some people had limited verbal communication and understanding and were unable to hold a detailed conversation with us. Other people were able to talk with us. To help us understand their experiences of living in the home we observed the care they received and the interaction by staff.

People were positive about the care and support they received and said they were well looked after. However this was not reflected in our observations of care practice or in the management of the home.

We looked at whether staff in the home were protecting people from possible abuse and found they were not. Several staff had accepted large amounts of money as gifts, from a person who lived in the home. They had not reported this to any relevant people or organisations.

Medicines were not safely administered or managed and were not always given as prescribed.

We also looked at staff recruitment and found that recruitment was unsafe and did not protect vulnerable people. Staff had not received an appropriate induction when starting work in the home. Some staff had not received suitable training to support them in their roles. Neither had most staff received formal supervision.

Despite being non-compliant at the last inspection, the provider was still not carrying out checks of the care and management of the home. The manager had started carrying out basic monitoring checks but these did not check if care records, medication or staff recruitment and support was satisfactory.

Record keeping had deteriorated since the last inspection. We looked at the care records for six people. These were only partially completed and some people had no care plans in place.

People said the care and support they received was very good. They told us that the staff were kind and patient and that they received care and support when they wanted it. One person said, "The staff always do so much for us. They can't do enough for everyone. They are so good'. Another person told us, 'I am happy here the staff are lovely. I would recommend here to anyone'

We observed people being treated with respect and dignity in a safe way. We saw that staff assisted people with personal care discretely and sensitively, in a timely manner. We saw satisfactory numbers of staff on the inspection to respond to people's needs.

Some record keeping needed attention and quality assurance checks were not in place. This meant that the provider and staff did not know whether the home was being run as it should be.

A visiting healthcare professional told us they had no issues or concerns about the care being provided. They said the staff were very helpful when they visited and the people in their care appeared well cared for.

'We felt the warmth of the staff when we looked around. They were so friendly and made us feel really welcome'.

'My family visit at various parts of the day. We always find the staff are very patient and caring with mum. She is always clean and well presented. I have never witnessed anything that has caused me concern'.

'We are always made to feel involved in mum's care which is so important to us. The staff really are brilliant with her'.