Hollybank House is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Hollybank House provides nursing and personal care in one adapted building for up to 30 older people, including some who may be living with dementia. At our last inspection in September 2016 we rated the service as Requires Improvement. People who used the service were not always protected from risks associated with unsafe staff recruitment procedures and inaccurate record keeping for people’s risk assessed care needs. At this inspection we found the improvements needed had been made.
We carried out this inspection on 18 April 2018. The inspection was unannounced. There were 25 people living at the service, including three people receiving nursing care. We rated the service as Good.
There was a registered manager at the time of our inspection. 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 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
The environment and care equipment was mostly clean, well maintained and free from observable hazards to people’s safety. Staff were provided with relevant equipment, guidance and training but had now always followed this to consistently ensure environmental cleanliness and hygiene. Action subsequently confirmed as taken by the provider, was sufficient to rectify this, which demonstrated lessons learned and improvements made when things go wrong. Emergency contingency plans were in place for staff to follow for likely foreseen emergencies to ensure people’s safety, which they understood.
People and relatives were confident people safety at the service. People were protected from the risk of harm or abuse by sufficient staff who were safely recruited and sufficiently deployed to provide people’s care.
Risks to people’s safety were assessed before they received care, accurately recorded and regularly reviewed. Staff understood and followed people’s related care requirements. This helped to reduce any known risks to people’s safety.
People’s medicines were safely managed. People were supported to take their medicines safely when they needed them. Staff were trained and assessed to ensure this.
People received effective care from staff who were trained and supported to ensure this. Staff obtained people’s consent for their care; and they ensured people’s safety, choice and best interests in a way that was lawful and in the least restrictive manner.
Staff understood people’s health conditions, related care needs and supported people to maintain and improve their health and nutrition. This was done in consultation with relevant external health professionals and staff followed their instructions for people’s care when required.
People were supported in the way they preferred and needed; to eat and drink sufficient amounts they enjoyed, which met with their dietary needs and choices.
Environmental facilities provided sufficient space and a number of aids and adaptations, which often enabled people to move around safely and independently. The provider has since confirmed their action to fully ensure this by additional environmental directional signage. People were comfortable and satisfied with their own rooms, which they could personalise to their own taste.
Staff were kind, caring and compassionate and had established good rapport and relationships with people and their relatives. People or their relevant representatives were informed and involved in agreeing people’s care and daily living arrangements at the service. Staff were trained and followed the provider’s stated care principles, which helped to ensure people’s dignity and rights.
People received timely, individualised care, which met with their daily living and lifestyle preferences. People were supported to participate and engage in home and spiritual life and with family and friends as they chose.
Staff knew people well and were mindful of their care needs and preferences. Staff knew how to support and communicate with people in a way that was meaningful and helpful to them.
Staff were trained and followed recognised principles to support people’s end of life care when needed. Partnership and cross sector working with external health professionals and similar type care providers, helped to ensure consistent practice and relevant information sharing concerned with people’s end of life care.
People and relatives were informed of how to make a complaint if they needed to and the provider regularly sought their views about the service. Recent findings from this showed overall satisfaction with the service.
The service was well managed and run. A range of management checks were mostly regularly operated to help inform and ensure the quality and safety of people’s care. Action was taken by the provider subsequent to our inspection to consistently ensure safe systems of cleanliness and hygiene and further support people’s environmental safety, orientation and independence.
Staff understood their role and responsibilities for people’s care; and they were confident and knew how to raise any related concerns if they needed to. Communication and record keeping procedures at the service met with nationally recognised guidance concerned with information handling and confidentiality.
The provider had sent us notifications about important events when they happened at the service and they conspicuously displayed their most recent inspection report; thereby following legal requirements.