Archived: St Oswalds Care Home

We considered our inspection findings to answer questions we always ask;

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well-led?

This is a summary of what we found-

Is the service safe?

There were enough staff on duty to meet the needs of the people living at the home and a member of the management team was available on call in case of emergencies.

People we spoke with said they felt safe in the home. One person commented, 'I feel very safe here and have no worries.' Another person said there were plenty of staff to help, when needed.

Staff personnel records contained all the information required by the Health and Social Care Act. This meant the provider could demonstrate that the staff employed to work at the home were suitable and had the skills and experience needed to support the people living in the home.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. The home was co-operating with the local authority to make sure that applications for these safeguards were submitted appropriately.

People's medicines were safely stored and administered.

Systems were in place for checking safety equipment and systems such as fire alarms and hot water temperatures.

Is the service effective?

People told us that they were happy with the care that had been delivered and their needs had been met. It was clear from our observations and from speaking with permanent staff that they had a good understanding of the people's care and support needs and that they knew them well. One person told us, 'I am very well looked after.' Another person said, 'I like living here. I have everything I need.' Relatives spoke highly of the quality of the care in the home. One commented, 'It's really smashing, here. Our dad's done really well since he came here.'

Visiting professionals said permanent staff were knowledgeable about people's needs. One said, 'They know their residents inside-out.' Some issues of consistency were raised, due to the problems in recruiting qualified staff, but we were told no significant failures of care had resulted.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by kind and attentive staff, who showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting people.

People told us they were able to do things at their own pace and were not rushed. Our observations confirmed this. One person said, 'The staff are all very nice ' more like friends.'

Visiting professionals told us the care was good. One told us, 'They really look after their residents.' Another commented, 'The permanent staff are great ' very caring.'

Is the service responsive?

People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. People told us they had been asked for their views in meetings and these had been recorded. Records confirmed people's preferences, interests, aspirations and diverse needs had been recorded and care and support had been provided in accordance with people's wishes. One person told us, 'If I am worried about anything I can talk to any of the carers.' Another said, 'I would tell my daughter if I had a complaint, and she would tell the matron, but I never have.'

People had good access to activities that were important to them and had been supported to maintain personal relationships with their friends and relatives.

Staffing levels had recently been increased in line with rising numbers of people living in the home.

Visiting professionals told us the home reported issues promptly and generally made appropriate referrals. They also said any advice given to staff was followed.

Is the service well-led?

Staff had a good understanding of the ethos of the home and effective quality assurance processes were in place.

People who used the service were asked for their views about their care and treatment in regular meetings and their views were acted upon. One person told us she could say anything she liked to the staff and they would always listen to her and try to help her.

Most staff we spoke said they were happy in their work, and felt the new manager had brought improvements to the home. Most staff told us the manager always took their views into consideration (a small minority of staff did not think this was the case).

Staff told us they were clear about their roles and responsibilities, and could access company policies and guidance.

Visiting professionals said the new manager had made a positive impact on the home. One told us, 'The manager seems very good.' Another commented, 'The atmosphere seems much better, now.'

We found the provider had accurate and up to date care records, which showed that people with skin integrity problems received care that met their needs. We also found people were assessed against the risk of poor nutrition. Care records evidenced the action taken by staff when people had lost significant amounts of weight.

We spoke with ten people who used the service and five relatives. We found people were asked to give their permission before receiving care and support. The provider had systems in place for staff to follow where there were doubts about a person's mental capacity to make decisions. One family member we spoke with commented, 'I am regularly consulted regarding my mother's care in here and am very satisfied with the attention she receives'.

People had their needs assessed and these were used to develop detailed care plans. People told us about their experiences of the care they received. One person commented, 'We are treated like family in here. The staff are very capable.' Another person commented, 'This is a home from home. I am treated very well. It is all very good.'

People we spoke with and family members were satisfied with staffing levels in the home. One person commented, 'If you lack anything, you only need to ask and you get what you want' and one family member we spoke with said, 'Most of the staff are good and some of them are marvellous.'

People and family members had opportunities to give their views about the quality of the service provided. Family members we spoke with said they were happy with the care their relative received. One family member said, 'I have no complaints about my mother's care. She is well looked after. If I had a problem, I know that I can speak to the Manager, any time'.

We found some care records, including care plans, contained inaccurate and incomplete information.

People who use the service and their families said they were involved in decisions about their care and were encouraged to express their views about the service. People told us they were happy with the care they received. We found care plans were reviewed regularly and were recently updated to include details of key workers and named nurses.

We spoke with eight people who use the service and they confirmed they were involved in making decisions about their care and were encouraged to express their views. One person said 'the staff are pleasant and helpful' and another person said they 'have no complaints and staff ask me what I liked to do'.

We found a long standing problem with the availability of hot water was resolved due to the installation of a new boiler and additional security measures had also been put in place to keep people safe within the home.

We spoke with staff about staffing levels in the home and they told us they felt there were enough staff to care for people. People told us the staff were very helpful and always very busy. Family members told us they had no concerns about the home.