11 and 13 March 2015
During a routine inspection
We carried out an inspection of Sunnyside Rest Home on 11 and 13 March 2015. The first day was unannounced. We last inspected Sunnyside Rest Home on 12 April 2013 and found the service was meeting the current regulations. However, during this inspection we found the provider was required to make improvements to recruitment of new staff. We also recommended staffing levels were assessed and reviewed particularly at weekends.
The home is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 11 older people. At the time of the inspection there were eight people accommodated in the home. The home is located in a residential area near to the centre of Whitworth. Accommodation, bathrooms and communal areas are provided at ground floor level throughout.
The service had a registered manager in post. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they felt safe and were well cared for in the home. Staff knew about safeguarding and we saw concerns had been dealt with appropriately, which helped to keep people safe.
As Sunnyside Rest Home is registered as a care home, CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and to report on what we find. At the time of the inspection, one person had an authorised DoLS. Staff had completed training and had a working knowledge of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.
We found the arrangements for managing people’s medicines were safe. We found records and appropriate processes were in place for the storage, receipt, administration and disposal of medicines.
Staff had completed relevant training for their role and they were well supported by the management team. However, we found the recruitment and selection policies and procedures did not fully reflect the current regulations and not all checks had been carried out before new staff started work in the home. We were also found there had been no analysis of the staffing levels particularly at weekends when staff carried out domestic and cooking duties in addition to caring for people living in the home.
Staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs and made sure they supported people to have a healthy diet, with choices of a good variety of food and drink.
People had opportunities to participate in a variety of activities and we observed staff actively interacting with people throughout our visit. All people spoken with told us the staff were caring, compassionate and kind. We saw that staff were respectful and made sure people’s privacy and dignity were maintained.
All people had a detailed care plan which covered their needs and any personal preferences. We saw the plans had been reviewed and updated at regular intervals. This meant staff had up to date information about people’s needs and wishes.
All people, their relatives and staff spoken with had confidence in the registered manager and felt the home had clear leadership. We found there were effective systems to assess and monitor the quality of the service, which included feedback from people living in the home.