Florence Care Reading Ltd

Florence Care Reading Ltd is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 79 people. Florence Care Reading Ltd accommodates people across two separate wings, each of which has separate adapted facilities. The service provides support to older people, younger adults, people with dementia and people with a physical disability. At the time of our inspection there were 66 people using the service.

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

Risks assessments were clearly written and easy to follow meaning that people were less likely to suffer harm. Regular maintenance checks of the home were undertaken. Medicines were managed safely. People felt there were enough staff at the home and felt safe living there.

The service had an open and transparent way of working to ensure people’s safety. The provider was able to demonstrate effective quality assurance systems to ensure the quality of the service was maintained. There was a positive culture amongst staff at the service. Staff knew people they supported well and cared about their wellbeing. The provider was able to demonstrate their compliance with legal obligations and any learning from incidents or accidents was undertaken effectively.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

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 23 February 2022)

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation staffing levels and the management of people’s nursing care needs. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Florence Care Reading Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Florence Care Reading Ltd is registered to provide personal care, accommodation and nursing care to up to 79 people aged 65 or over. There were 45 people living at the service at the time of our inspection, some of whom were living with dementia. The service comprises of two units, each of which has separate adapted facilities.

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

The home ensured infection prevention and control guidance was followed to keep people and staff safe. Pain management for people within the home had improved and people reported feeling safe living at the service.

Care plans were person centred and included the input of the relevant person. The environment in the home had improved from previous inspections including improvement in decoration and signage around the service to support people living with dementia.

The registered manager and staff had an open and transparent way of working to ensure the safety of the people living at the service. The registered manager was able to demonstrate that quality assurance systems ensured the quality of the service was maintained. There was a positive culture amongst staff at the service. Staff knew people they supported well and cared about their wellbeing. The provider was able to demonstrate their compliance with legal obligations and any learning from incidents or accidents was undertaken effectively.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

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 requires improvement (published 23 March 2021).

At this inspection we found improvements had been made. At our inspection published 17 December 2019, we recommended that the service sought advice and guidance on best practice regarding the assessment and monitoring of pain in older people. We also recommended the provider reviews the suitability of the premises to ensure they meet the needs of people living in the home. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on the recommendations and improvements had been made.

Why we inspected

We undertook this focused inspection to check the service had met the recommendation relating to premises and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Florence Care Reading Ltd on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Jasmine House Nursing Home is a care home providing personal care, accommodation and nursing care to up to 79 people aged 65 or over. There were 38 people living at the service at the time of our inspection, some of whom were living with dementia. The service comprises of two units, Hawthorne and Jasmine each of which has separate adapted facilities.

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

The service had ensured that medicines were stored and given to people safely. People’s risks assessments were clearly written and gave clear instructions to staff meaning that people were less likely to suffer harm. Regular maintenance checks of the home were undertaken. 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’s care was individualised in order to best meet their needs and social activities were planned for people to support with stimulation. Care plans were person centred and included the input of the relevant person. People were supported by staff to pursue their interests.

People knew how to raise concerns and they felt they would be listened to. People felt that staff were caring, and regular activities were available for them to take part in if they wished to.

The service had an open and transparent way of working to ensure the safety of the people living at the service. The provider was able to demonstrate that quality assurance systems had improved to ensure the quality of the service was maintained. People felt there were enough staff at the home and felt safe living there. There was a positive culture amongst staff at the service. Staff knew people they supported well and cared about their wellbeing. The provider was able to demonstrate their compliance with legal obligations and any learning from incidents or accidents was undertaken effectively.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 18 December 2019) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. At our last inspection, we imposed a condition requiring the provider to send us monthly updates in respect of safe care and treatment and good governance to ensure this improvement is sustained. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We undertook this focused inspection to check the provider was compliant with the regulations and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions: Safe, Caring, Responsive and Well-led, which contain those requirements.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The rating from the previous comprehensive inspection for the key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has remained as requires improvement.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Jasmine House Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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

Jasmine House Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal care, accommodation and nursing care to up to 79 people aged 65 or over. There were 35 people living at the service at the time of our inspection, some of whom were living with dementia. The service comprises of two units, Hawthorne and Jasmine each of which has separate adapted facilities.

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

People were not always protected from a risk of harm and we found concerns about risk management and medicines. People were not always protected in an event of an evacuation. The provider’s system to identify safeguarding concerns, monitor accidents and environmental safety needed improving.

We received mixed feedback about staffing levels with some people commenting they at times needed to wait to be supported. The provider followed safe recruitment practices.

Although we recognised the changes implemented by the new management team and further improvements planned, we found the provider’s governance remained ineffective. We took this into consideration when making judgement to ensure the most proportionate regulatory response to the concerns identified.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 18 December 2019) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. We issued a warning notice in relation to breaches of regulations relating to safe care and treatment and good governance. The provider was required to be compliant with the breaches of the regulations relating to safe care and treatment and good governance by 5th January 2020.

At this inspection we found improvements had not been made and the provider was still in breach of regulations around safe care and treatment and good governance. Additionally, we identified another breach around not notifying us of incidents of suspected abuse.

Why we inspected

We undertook this focused inspection to check the provider was compliant with the regulations and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions: Safe and Well-led, which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service remains requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection. This is the second consecutive requires improvement rating for the service.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Jasmine House Nursing Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. We were unable to inspect the service as initially planned. We wrote to the provider requesting evidence to be sent to us. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.

We will continue to work with our partner agencies and to monitor the service through the condition we have already placed on their registration which requires them to send us monthly updates in respect of their quality assurance processes to ensure this improvement is sustained.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Jasmine House Nursing Home is a nursing home providing personal care, accommodation and nursing care to up to 79 people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection the service was supporting 75 people.

There are two main wings in the building. One for people who require nursing support and one for people living with dementia. Care is provided across three floors which can be accessed via stairs or lifts.

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

Risks to people’s safety were assessed and documented in their care plans. However, there were no personal fire evacuation plans for people and no overall evacuation plan for the home. This put people at risk of injury in the event of a fire.

There were systems in place for managing people’s medicines. These were not always safe. We observed that although people’s medicines were kept in locked cupboards, the door to the medicines storage room had been left unlocked for extended periods. The registered manager told us they completed audits of people’s medicines administration records but these audits had not been recorded.

There were enough staff to support people. However, staff were not always deployed in the most effective way. We observed that several people were left without stimulation or engagement for extended periods. One person identified as being at risk of choking was left unsupervised in a communal lounge.

Staff completed the provider’s mandatory training to gain the skills to meet people’s needs. However, we did not see evidence of a supervision system for staff.

People’s needs and choices were assessed using evidence based tools. Staff completed training to prepare them to meet people’s needs. Staff liaised with professionals to support people’s health and wellbeing needs. However, referrals to health professionals were not always made appropriately.

People used communal areas in the home which were decorated. There were signs on corridors and bathrooms to help people orientate themselves. However, the home was dimly lit in several areas. One of the lifts in the building could be accessed without the use of a code. This meant there was a risk people living with dementia who required support and supervision from staff, could access different parts of the building unsupervised.

People’s care and support documents contained evidence of capacity assessments for care and treatments as well as evidence of people’s consent to receive support. However, people were not always supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did not support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did not support this practice.

Some staff had caring interactions with people. However, some people we spoke with felt that staff were not caring. We observed staff did not interact with several people for extended periods of time. There was a lack of evidence to show people had been supported to express their views about care provided. Most people were treated with dignity and respect. However, some people were left alone for extended periods with little stimulation.

Some staff were responsive to people’s needs. However, we observed several people who were in need of support were left alone for longer periods.

Staff had made considerations for the type of care and support people needed at the end of their lives and had completed end of life care training. However, professionals we spoke with indicated staff did not make the appropriate referrals when people needed end of life care and were not sufficiently skilled to provide appropriate person centred care.

There was a lack of evidence to show the registered manager effectively appraised quality and safety in the service delivery to review practice and drive improvements. The registered manager did not have established systems for assessing, monitoring and improving quality and safety in the service. There was no evidence of audits completed by the registered manager in areas such as medicines administration records or maintenance checks.

The registered manager did not always submit safeguarding notifications in a timely manner, in line with their regulatory responsibilities.

Informal surveys were used as a way of gaining people’s feedback about the service. However, there was a lack of evidence of actions taken following feedback. There was a lack of evidence to demonstrate learning and continuous improvement in the service.

Staff worked with healthcare professionals and made referrals to them. However, these were not always appropriate or timely.

People were protected from the risk of being abused. Staff had completed safeguarding training and were aware of actions to take if they suspected someone was at risk. The provider used appropriate recruitment processes to employ suitable staff.

People were protected from the risk of acquiring an infection. The registered manager maintained a record of accidents and incidents.

People were supported to maintain sufficient nutrition and hydration. Staff referred to professionals when people required specialist support.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Good (published 3 November 2017).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about people’s care plans, mealtime experiences, person centred care, deployment of staff and care of people with pressure ulcers. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led sections of this full report.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

The overall rating for the service is Requires Improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to person centred care, dignity and respect, safe care and treatment, and good governance.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will also request an action plan. We will work with

the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

At the last inspection, in June 2015, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good in each area, with good progress having been made, particularly in activities, external liaison and in-house governance.

The service was required to have a registered manager and one was in place. 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.

Further development of the dementia environment had taken place with plans in place for additional improvements, to provide the best environment for people living with dementia. Improvements had also been made to other aspects of the environment, furnishings and equipment.

The service continued to operate a robust recruitment process to try to ensure staff had the necessary skills, attitude and ability to care for vulnerable people. Staff received a thorough induction and a good programme of core and specialist training, which was periodically updated. Staff received ongoing support through regular supervision meetings, annual performance appraisals and observations of their practice to confirm competence. The plan to provide staff with a separate area to take their breaks still needed to be followed through, so it was clear that staff who could be seen were on duty.

People and relatives felt people were safe and well cared for by trained staff who had the skills they needed. They said staff provided effective and responsive care and sought their views and wishes about care. People and relatives felt they had opportunities to raise issues and their opinions of the service were sought and acted upon.

People’s nutritional and healthcare needs were met and monitored and the advice of external healthcare professionals was sought when necessary. People’s cultural and spiritual needs were provided for to some degree, although there was room for further development. People’s dignity was managed well with the exception of hairdressing, which was still being carried out in the Jasmine unit dining area.

People’s rights and freedom were protected by staff. Where they had capacity, people were consulted about their care. The views of relatives and other representatives were sought where appropriate. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People enjoyed a good range of activities, entertainment and some outings. The appointment of a new team of activity staff had led to improvements in this area. Activities and other staff engaged regularly and effectively with people in lounge areas, which helped them to feel valued. There was a need for additional staff support for people in the dementia unit who chose to spend time away from the main lounge.

Within the service, the management team exercised effective governance and monitored required aspects of the service. There was limited evidence of governance activity by or on behalf of the registered provider. The registered manager thought the recently appointed ‘responsible individual’ planned to begin a monitoring regime soon, following their initial visit.

As part of this inspection we spoke with three people who use the service, one relative, three members of the management team and three staff. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the home which included care plans, risk assessments and other relevant records.

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary described what people using the

service, their relatives and the staff told us, records we looked at and what we found with regard to the home's compliance with the warning notices issued following the July inspection.

Is the service safe?

We saw that improvements had been made in terms of keeping people safe. Previous incidents of concern had been investigated and changes to the care plan made to minimise the risk of recurrence. However, the records of an incident of aggression between two people were ambiguous and contained insufficient information. The incident had not been investigated or notified to either the Care Quality Commission or the local authority.

We found that injury and wound monitoring and follow up care had improved. However, these recording systems were confusing to follow. It was not clear if there was a system in place to ensure that any relevant learning from incidents and injuries took place.

Staff had been provided with additional training around aspects of dementia care and more training had been booked. The health authority in-reach team had already provided training support to staff and this was ongoing.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. We found that the home had liaised with the relevant local authorities DoLS team and had made DoLS applications where they felt these were necessary. There had been an improvement to the process and documentation for approving covert medication. However there was insufficient detail within the new protocol to describe the circumstances under which such administration might be appropriate.

The people we spoke with told us they were happy with their care and felt safe in the home.

Is the service caring?

We found that there were improvements in care plans. The level of detail of people's needs had been improved, although some gaps remained. The manager told us they were bringing together all the elements of the care planning process into one location to improve staff access. A new cabinet had been ordered to enable this. The new deputy manager was in the process of revising everyone else's care plans. However, the care plans continued to be held within more than one format and we saw inconsistencies between these records. In some cases the legibility of hand written records was an issue. The quality of daily recording had improved and a new format was being trialled to enable care staff to record details about people's emotional well-being and how they spent their day. Staff told us and showed they were enthusiastic about these changes. We noted that support was being provided for staff for whom English was not their first language.

We found improvements in head injury monitoring systems although the process of identifying any learning from such incidents was not clear. More information about people's life history was being incorporated into care plans to make them more person-centred, although this was still a work in progress. The process of seeking relevant background history from family members had provided information which had clearly enhanced people's care.

Records of fluid/nutritional monitoring had been clarified and were more detailed. Where thickeners were used for fluids the quantities recommended by the Speech and language team (SALT) were now included and available to staff providing drinks. Where swallowing difficulties had been identified, referrals had been made to the SALT team.

Staff communication and accountability had been improved and for the most part, staff were now working in a more person-centred, caring and respectful way while supporting people. We did see some examples of negative interactions but noted that more experienced staff were advising a new staff member about how to interact with people. We saw improvements in how staff addressed people's dignity but the ongoing use of one of the dining rooms by the hairdresser during meals, conflicted with this principle.

The health authority in-reach team were supporting the home to develop their recording, staff competencies and the dementia care environment and we saw good progress in these areas as a result. We could not judge whether the improvements made would be sustained and development continued.

The People we spoke with thought the service was caring and were happy with the care and support provided. One told us that: 'Staff are very kind to me and are very nice people. They are very helpful and they come if I press my bell or want anything at all'.

Is the service safe?

We found that people's care plans often contained insufficient detail and were sometimes contradictory. This meant that we could not be assured their full range of needs would be met. Risk assessments had not always been carried out when necessary. The home had sought the advice of external healthcare specialists to maintain people's wellbeing. However, recording in some cases was inadequate to ensure staff were fully aware of their guidance. We saw that staff relied on the verbal handover of information between shifts. This was not effective as we saw examples where key information had not been passed on or recorded.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The manager was aware of a recent Supreme Court judgement relating to 'deprivation of liberty' but it was not clear that DoLS applications had been made in all relevant cases.

Staff members said they believed that people who lived in the home were safe from any form of abuse. However, we had concerns about potential inappropriate restraint in terms of the use of side tables, bed rails and from the records of one personal care event. There was insufficient evidence of proper assessments of mental capacity, consent; and of 'best interests' discussions, to assure us that these had taken place. Therefore some care decisions had been taken without such safeguards in place. We also found that some injuries to people had not been adequately recorded, investigated or reported to ensure that any possibility of abuse or neglect had been followed up and their recurrence minimised. We found examples of covert medication which were not in line with good practice guidelines which protected people from inappropriate use of medication.

A number of safeguarding issues had been raised regarding the quality and safety of care in the home since the last full inspection. The local authority required various actions by the home to remedy some of these concerns.

We found some parts of the environment which were potentially hazardous to people in the home. In one case despite a risk assessment and a serious fall, no steps had been taken to address the hazard.

The people and relatives we spoke with told us they felt the service was safe and no one had seen anything that concerned them.

Is the service effective?

People's needs were not always effectively met. This was for a number of reasons including the lack of interaction from some staff, the inadequacy of the environment, particularly within the dementia unit, poor communication systems and care plans, inadequate management monitoring and analysis of events and information.

We found that care plans did not clearly demonstrate how people's changing needs in relation to dementia/nursing care, were being actively managed. Many of the care plan entries and daily record sheets were difficult to interpret, due to the language used and unclear handwriting. Many records were very brief and task driven. They did not always demonstrate people's needs had been met or that they enjoyed a fulfilling lifestyle.

Care practice in the dementia unit did not reflect current research and guidance on dementia care in terms of the environment, activities provision or the limited interaction with and engagement of people living there. Dementia training for some staff had not been updated since 2009.

The people and relatives we spoke with told us that the home met people's needs.

Is the service caring?

We saw some staff working in a caring and respectful way while supporting people. Others were uncommunicative and failed to engage the person they were supporting in the task at hand. People were sometimes left for extended periods without receiving the support they needed. The care plans lacked detail about how individual needs should be met. This meant that care was not sufficiently person centred. A separate form developed by the Alzheimer Society, to help homes gather information about people's social history and interests had not always been completed. Where the information was present it was not included in the care plan and therefore not available to staff. The staff were often unaware of it when asked.

We saw examples where basic personal care issues had not been identified by staff. Some of the terminology used by staff within records was unprofessional and did not reflect a caring and individualised approach.

The people and relatives we spoke with thought the service was caring. People said they had been treated with dignity and respect.

Is the service responsive?

Care plans were not always reviewed in accordance with the provider's policy. The lack of detail in care plans meant that care may not be provided based on people's known and indicated wishes and preferences. People had limited access to meaningful activities. Where a person's interests were known, this did not necessarily mean they were respected. Where people needed additional monitoring of food and fluid intake this was not always consistently recorded and did not always evidence that the required care had been maintained.

We were told that the night staff helped all the residents who were awake to get up before they went off duty. This suggested a task based approach to personal care which was not responsive to people's individual wishes and preferences.

The people and relatives we spoke with said the home generally met their or their relative's changing needs. However, some issues raised by people in the relatives/residents survey had not been addressed and others not followed up to identify the issue more specifically.

Is the service well-led?

There were clear lines of managerial responsibility and monitoring systems were used by the management team. However, these were not always used to maintain an effective overview of the home's operation. There had been inadequate analysis of events to ensure effective learning from them. It was evident that the provider and management team were not fully aware of the shortfalls within the home.

The management team had reacted to the action plan provided by the local authority in response to a series of safeguarding referrals. They had also taken action to address the issues raised in our January 2013 inspection. However, in the main, the management team's response had been reactive in addressing issues, rather than proactively identifying and addressing them for themselves. Several of the issues and concerns identified at this inspection had been identified previously.

The manager was informed at the follow up inspection in July 2013 that we would be looking at the fitness of the environment for dementia care at the next full inspection. However, we saw few developments to enhance the suitability of this environment, at this inspection.

The views of people's relatives and some people in the home had been sought but analysis of their feedback had focussed on the positives and not really addressed or followed up on the potential shortfalls. Complaints about the service had not always been managed in an effective way and a defensive or challenging attitude by managers had at times made their resolution less satisfactory to the complainant.

The people we spoke with and their relatives were generally happy with the home and the care provided and felt they were involved in planning care.

We found that care plans and other records had been reviewed and contained more person-centred care information than previously. Staff were seen to respond more promptly to people's needs and to engage more effectively with them. The 'In-reach team' was providing observation, care practice modelling and advice which was helping to develop practice. Support had been sought from external healthcare agencies where necessary. Involvement in activities had improved and people now had a choice of two main meals on the menu.

Improvements had been made in the safety monitoring of manual handling aids and staff training and competency monitoring had been provided on manual handling. A range of other training had been provided to enhance staff skills and knowledge.

We saw that some improvements had been made to management monitoring systems to better enable the management team to maintain an overview. A survey had been carried out to obtain the views of people in the home and their relatives. People had other opportunities for raising any issues or concerns they might have.

The staff we spoke with demonstrated some awareness of people's needs and support. However, care plans and related records were out of date and no longer reflected people's needs. The home relied heavily on verbal transfer of information and did not keep detailed records of the care given, particularly where enhanced care was provided.

Advice had not always been sought from external healthcare specialists with regard to issues like skin integrity, infection, nutrition, weight loss and managing behaviour. Some choices were offered to people in the home but sometimes they were not asked their wishes or provided promptly with the support they requested. A choice of menu was not actively offered to people.

The home had obtained some new equipment to support manual handling. However, an effective system to monitor its age, condition and hygiene had yet to be established. Monitoring systems for staff manual handling practice had begun to be implemented. Core training had been provided to all staff, but training on specialist aspects of care had not always been provided.

The home had an appropriate complaints system in place and had investigated some concerns that had been raised. However, they were not always able to achieve outcomes which were satisfactory to complainants.