The Care Quality Commission

Archived: Fanshawe Nursing Care Home

53 Hooe Road, Plymouth, Devon, PL9 9QS (01752) 402164

Provided and run by:
R.M.J.J. Healthcare Limited

All Inspections

7 October 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

During our follow up visit to Fanshawe Nursing Home we spoke with five people and met many others. We spoke to the unregistered manager and nurse on duty about the improvements which had been made since our previous inspection in May 2013.

People told us people told us "It's excellent"; "Very good food"; "Not always enough to do" and "I'm very happy."

Care and treatment was planned and delivered in a way that ensured people's safety and welfare. People's needs were assessed and a care plan developed with them which reflected their needs and individual preferences. We found there was more to keep people occupied and the unregistered manager told us an activities volunteer was being recruited to support the provision of more individual activities. The people we met and observed were relaxed and comfortable. We found that staff knew people well which meant they were able to meet their individual needs.

21 May 2013

During a routine inspection

Fanshawe was last inspected by the Care Quality Commission in February 2013. We found improvements were required in some aspects of the care people received to meet their social needs. We also found improvements were needed to the home's quality assurance systems to ensure that the home continued to develop and improve it's service.

In this report the name of a registered manager appears who was not in post and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their names appear because they were still a registered manager on our register at the time.

People told us they were treated with dignity and respect and they were given choices about how they spent their time. People told us, "The staff are brilliant." We saw comments from relatives saying how wonderful the home was. External agencies spoke highly of the care provided by the staff saying, "... you know it's going to be done if you ask."

We found there continued to be a lack of organised activity within the home and improvements were required to ensure people received the care they needed. Improvements had been made to people's care planning and the recording of their needs although a more individualised approach would benefit people.

The unregistered manager had developed a series of audits to be undertaken to monitor the standards of care within the home. We found meetings with people and staff were occurring more frequently to obtain their views.

13 February 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Fanshawe was last inspected by the Care Quality Commission (CQC) in May 2012. We found improvements were required in relation to the amount of social interaction available for people who lived at the home. We also found that improvements were needed in relation to the systems in place to ensure people were protected from abuse and the home's quality monitoring systems.

At the time of our inspection there was no registered manager employed at Fanshawe. The organisation had informed us that the previous manager had left. However, the previous manager had not deregistered with CQC at the time of the inspection. Therefore their name still remains on any reports until such time that this information is received.

During this inspection we did not speak with any of the people who lived at Fanshawe. This was because during the time we had allotted to speak with people they were either resting in their rooms or enjoying musical entertainment.

During this inspection we found that some improvements had been made in relation to meeting people's social and emotional care needs, although improvement was still needed.

We found that there had been improvements in the way people's financial transactions were recorded.

We found that questionnaires had been sent out during December 2012, but the results had not yet been analysed. We found that improvements were still needed in relation to the home's quality assurance systems.

2 May 2012

During a routine inspection

We (the Commission) carried out an unannounced visit to Fanshawe Nursing Care Home on 2 May 2012. We obtained the views of 8 of the 18 people who lived at the home, and spoke with two visitors. We met other people who were unable to comment on the service or care they received because of memory problems or physical frailty. We therefore observed some of the support they received, to learn more about their experiences. We also spoke with three health or social care professionals who supported people at the home, as well as four care staff and three ancillary staff employed by the home. The new registered manager was not at the home the day we visited, so we spoke with her by phone later in the week, for more information and to discuss our findings.

We met three people who had been admitted to the home as a result of crises arising at their own homes. Two told us that although they would obviously rather be in their own home, in the meantime they were very happy to be at Fanshawe. The third expressed great relief at now being 'looked after', as they had found it difficult to manage at home during their current ill health. We asked people what they generally thought was good about the home and if there was anything that could be done to make their daily life better. People were positive about the home, finding it hard to find to suggest improvements. One person felt there was a good atmosphere due, they thought, to the environment and the staff team. Another told us 'It couldn't be better in a five star hotel!'

People were listened to, and were involved in making decisions about their care and treatment. One person said, 'We're told, if there's anything we need to know.' All those we spoke with felt staff enabled them to have their preferred daily routine. They told us they could choose where they spent their day, where they ate their meals, and when they got up and went to bed. Someone sharing a bedroom confirmed they had been informed of this before they decided to move in. Peoples' privacy, diversity, and human rights were thus respected in various ways. Visitors told us they come at anytime, and were made to feel welcome.

People told us they didn't have a choice of meal at lunchtime, but they all praised the food very highly. One person told us the roast meat served on the day of our visit 'melted in the mouth'.

Peoples' needs were assessed by the home, with their care planned and delivered in an individualised way. They told us that staff provided the care and support they wanted or required. Their safety was considered, with staff answering call bells promptly and checking on those who stayed in their rooms. One person told us they were enabled to get up early as they didn't like lying in bed. Another liked to go to bed late occasionally, telling us that the staff adjusted the care they needed accordingly. One person commented, 'We have night care. We can ring our bells if we have any problems.'

One person told us 'I get my eyes tested, the chiropodist comes' Care records showed people had access to other health professionals as necessary. Two people told us they got bored, although one showed us games and puzzles available to them. Another enjoyed the music playing but indicated there was nothing else for them to do. Other people could occupy themselves and told us they didn't get bored, three particularly enjoying the view from their bedroom.

People were very complimentary about all the staff, describing them as kind and hard-working, for example. Their comments included 'The nurse on duty is superb,' and 'It's definitely a good care service - everybody's lovely.' They felt safe with staff, with one person's comment 'I've got every confidence in them' reflected by others.

One person told us that the care staff asked them 'on a daily basis how things are.' Another person's relative had been told by the registered manager that they could go to her at anytime. Although none had made a complaint, people told us they felt able to speak up if something were wrong, and were confident that it would be dealt with. More formal and effective systems for assessing the quality of the service were not yet fully established, and we found the provider had not taken some actions that could help to safeguard people.