• Care Home
  • Care home

Christian Head

Silver Street, Kirkby Stephen, Cumbria, CA17 4HA (017683) 71429

Provided and run by:
Westmorland and Furness Council

Important: The provider of this service changed - see old profile

Inspection summaries and ratings from previous provider

On this page

Background to this inspection

Updated 28 December 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who has used this type of service.

Service and service type

Christian Head is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

Our planning considered information we held about the service. This included information about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse allegations. We looked at records of complaints and how the service responded to them. We sought feedback from professionals who worked with the service.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spent time in each unit and in communal and dining areas speaking with people and observing their daily activities and staff interactions. We reviewed records relevant to the running and quality monitoring of the service and the recruitment records for staff employed since the last inspection. We looked at staff training and supervision records.

We looked at a sample of care plans and four in detail and a selection of records including, medication administration, quality monitoring records, complaints and the training and recruitment records for staff. We also checked the building to ensure it was clean, hygienic and a safe place for people to live. We spent time in each unit and in communal and dining areas speaking with people and observing their daily activities and staff interactions

We spoke with eight people who lived at Christian Head, three visiting relatives and a visiting health care professional. We spoke with the registered manager, who was present throughout the inspection, the supervisor and three members of care staff.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found including training data and quality assurance records. We obtained further feedback following the visit from professionals and external agencies who regularly came in to contact with the service who were not available during the inspection. They contacted us by email after the visit to give us their experiences of the service.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 28 December 2019

About the service

Christian Head is a residential care home that provides personal care and accommodation for up to 31 people. At the time of our inspection there were 18 people living at the home. Accommodation is provided over two floors, one of which specialises in providing care for people living with dementia

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were cared for by staff who had received training on safeguarding to keep people safe from avoidable harm. Sufficient staff were available to meet their needs and people told us when they needed assistance staff responded promptly. People received their medicines as prescribed and systems were in place for the safe management and supply of medicines. Incidents and accidents were recorded. The premises were clean and hygienic and staff followed infection control and prevention procedures.

People were supported to live healthy lives, had access to professionals as they needed and a choice of a nutritious diet. The service worked with other organisations to provide effective and consistent care and treatments. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People and their relatives were positive about the service and the care provided. People were cared for by staff who were kind and compassionate. The atmosphere within the home was friendly and welcoming towards the people they cared for and promoted their independence and personal dignity.

Staff responded to people’s individual needs and wishes and had a good knowledge about each person. People were supported at the end of their life to be comfortable and free from distressing symptoms and pain. People could pursue their own interests inside and outside the home and had access to activities and entertainment they enjoyed. Systems were in place to deal with any complaints raised about the service.

The registered manager displayed knowledge and understanding around the importance of openness and working closely with other agencies and healthcare professionals to make sure people had good care. People who used the service and staff said the registered manager was available and approachable and their views were sought to improve aspects of the service.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 25 May 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.