Archived: Delaware House

Delaware House is registered to provide accommodation and personal care without nursing to up to 24 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. There were 21 people living in the service at the time of our inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

Although staff had received training and had a good understanding of people’s needs improvements were needed to ensure that staff received regular updates in their training to refresh their knowledge.

People were protected from the risk of harm and staff knew how to protect them. There were sufficient numbers of staff employed that had been appropriately recruited to ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people. People received their medication as prescribed.

Staff were well supported and demonstrated a good understanding of the people they cared for. They had access to guidance and information to support them when necessary. The registered manager and staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and had received training to ensure that where people lacked the capacity to make decisions they were protected. People were supported to maintain a healthy balanced diet and their healthcare needs had been met.

People were cared for by kind, caring and thoughtful staff who knew them well. They were treated respectfully and staff ensured that their privacy and dignity was always maintained. People expressed their views and opinions and were supported to follow their individual hobbies and interests where possible. The service provided people with advocacy contact should they need them.

People’s care and support needs had been fully assessed prior to admission to the service. There were care plans and risk assessments in place which had been developed to ensure that people were cared for in a way that suited them. The care plans provided staff with the information that they needed to meet individual’s needs and preferences and to care for them safely.

People were confident that their concerns or complaints would be listened to and acted upon. There was an effective system in place to assess and monitor the quality of the service and to drive improvements

.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

We saw that people had received a safe and coordinated service. Their personal information had been shared in a confidential manner.

We found that the service had good infection control practices. Staff followed the Code of Practice for health and adult social care on the prevention and control of infections and related guidance. People's health, safety and welfare needs were met because there were sufficient numbers of qualified, skilled and experienced staff.

We found that people's concerns, complaints and comments were listened to and acted upon. We received many positive comments about the service such as, 'I get excellent care here, it is first class and the girls (staff) are lovely and the food is very good. It is better than a restaurant, you always get a choice. If I don't want the meal, I can always have something else. They will make it especially for me.'

One relative had written, 'Your staff are very special people, the kindness and care shown by everyone shows how special they are.' 'There is an air of warmth and kindness evident in Delaware House that makes it unique.'

People received safe, effective and compassionate care from a well led service that responded quickly to their changing needs.

People appeared relaxed and happy in staff's company. Staff treated people in a respectful and dignified manner. Relatives of people who use the service told us that the staff were kind and caring and that they provided an excellent service. People told us that the environment had improved recently. One relative said, 'The home now has lots more things for people to look at such as pictures and signs on walls and doors.'

Staff told us that they felt supported to do their work, however we found that some staff had not received supervision as agreed in their supervision contract.

The home had good quality assurance processes in place which included regular audits of its systems and practices. The provider had carried out regular monthly monitoring visits and had prepared a report of their findings. Actions had been carried out as required in the report.

Record keeping was good and staff had been trained in the Data Protection Act 1998. Staff and management had a good understanding of the Act.