Archived: Littledale Care Home

We found care and treatment was planned but not always delivered in a way that was intended to ensure people's safety and welfare. There were no organised activities for people who lived at the home. The two care workers on duty cared for the people and also tried entertaining them. People were expected to watch TV or listen to music. We also found at times that care was delivered without taking into account personal preferences and welfare.

The provider had not obtained health declarations for all staff to ensure they were able to perform their duties.

People were cared for by staff who were not supported to deliver care and treatment safely. We found there was lack of supervision of staff and lack of team work between the manager, the nurses and the care workers.

The provider was unable to offer us evidence that complaints had been investigated to people's satisfaction and lessons had been learnt from the complaints they had received.

The manager who was in charge of the home during our last inspection left in March 2013. A temporary manager was appointed by the Sheffield city council until the provider appointed a new manager in June 2013.

People's experience of care and support did not always meet their needs. This was due to people not being offered meaningful recreational activities at the home. Some people were looked after in their bedrooms instead of being included in the communal areas. One person said, 'TV's on from morning till night, whether there is anyone watching it or not.'

People were protected from the risk of infection because staff were trained.

Relatives commented that the home smelt clean at all times when they visited.

Appropriate arrangements were in place for medicine management

Essential checks were not always completed before staff began work.

The manager had carried out a variety of audits. We saw the corrective actions by the staff to improve the quality of service.

We received information of concern that there was a lack of care for people due to insufficient numbers of staff at the home. We were also informed that staff did not have appropriate leadership and therefore people's care was compromised.

On the day of the unannounced inspection we saw a sufficient number of staff on duty. A nurse who predominantly worked night duty at the home was requested by the provider to help manage the day to day running on a temporary basis.

We noted that staff knew the people and said they were aware of their care needs. Staff interacted with the people who were in the communal areas and encouraged recreational activities. We also observed staff regularly checking and caring for people who were nursed in bed.

We found some care plans and risk assessments did not fully reflect the people's present needs. Therefore staff who were unfamiliar with the people or those who have been off duty did not have access to appropriate and up to date information. This could result in a negative impact on the care individuals received.

The provider did not have an ongoing quality assurance system for gathering, recording and evaluating accurate information about the service provided. Although the previous manager sought feedback from people who used the service, their representatives and staff, due to their sudden departure there had not been any action taken by the provider to address the issues highlighted in the feedback.

We spoke with five people and two visiting relatives. People made positive comments about their life at Littledale Care Home. One person said, 'It's alright here. I like this place.' They made positive remarks about the staff saying that they worked hard and looked after them well. We observed staff treating people with respect and listening to them attentively. Staff were friendly and encouraged people to be independent. A relative said, 'It seems a lot calmer here these days. Its all good.'

During the tour of the premise we found the environment was clean and free from unpleasant smells. We saw three people in their rooms. One person said it was their choice and the other two people were too ill to respond. They looked comfortable. During the day we observed staff visiting them to chat and check on them.