12 August 2015
During a routine inspection
This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 12 August 2015. White Gables Care Home provides accommodation for up to 20 people who require residential or nursing care and also supports people living with dementia. There were 19 people living in the service when we carried out our inspection.
At the time of our inspection the service had a registered manager. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The Care Quality Commission is required by law to monitor how a provider applies the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. DoLS are in place to protect people where they do not have capacity to make decisions and where it is considered necessary to restrict their freedom in some way. This is usually to protect themselves. At the time of our inspection there was one person who was subject to an active DoLS authorisation.
Staff knew how to recognise and report any concerns so that people were kept safe from harm and background checks had been completed before new staff were appointed. Staff helped people to avoid having accidents. There were arrangements in place for ordering, storing, administering and disposing of medicines.
Staff had been supported to assist people in the right way. People had been helped to eat and drink enough to stay well. We found that people were provided with a choice of meals. When necessary, people were given extra help to make sure that they had enough to eat and drink. People had access to a range of healthcare professionals when they required specialist help.
Staff understood people’s needs, wishes and preferences and they had been trained to provide effective and safe care which met people’s individual needs. People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect.
People were able to see their friends and families when they wanted. There were no restrictions on when people could visit the service. Visitors were made welcome by the staff in the service. People and their relatives had been consulted about the care they wanted to be provided. Staff knew the people they supported and the choices they made about their care and people were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests.
There were systems in place for handling and resolving complaints. People and their relatives knew how to raise a concern. The service was run in an open and inclusive way that encouraged staff to speak out if they had any concerns. The registered manager regularly assessed and monitored the quality of the service provided for people. The service had established links with local community groups which benefited people who lived in the service.