Stapleton House

Stapleton House is a care home that provides nursing and personal care to a maximum of 45 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of inspection, there were 42 people using the service.

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

People and their relatives were very positive about the care provided. People felt safe and that staff had the skills to support them. Relatives provided positive examples of how staff had helped improve people’s lives since moving to the home.

Staff were safely recruited and received an induction followed by training from the provider. Training was monitored and staff were supported with regular meetings and supervisions.

Staffing capacity was enough to meet service user’s needs.

People and relatives were involved in every stage of care planning. Systems and records were in place to ensure people received person-centred, safe care.

The registered manager had an effective quality assurance system in place. Regular audits and checks were done. These were used to identify relevant action and lessons learnt. People, relatives, staff and professionals had opportunities to provide feedback about the care provided at the home.

Staff ensured people living in the service were happy with the environment and found ways to promote their independence; their passions and interests were maintained wherever possible.

The service was following safe infection prevention and control procedures.

Medicines were managed safely. Risks to people were assessed and action taken to reduce the chances of them occurring. The registered manager acted on feedback immediately. People were safeguarded from abuse.

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.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (16 December 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

Follow up

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

We found the following examples of good practice.

The registered manager had identified, assessed and mitigated all COVID-19 related risks to people, staff and visitors. The registered manager had an effective monitoring system in place to check that the service was following government guidance and the provider's own policies. Staff wore appropriate PPE and had access to this throughout the home. Staff had received additional training during the pandemic about correct PPE usage and infection prevention and control from the provider.

Staff were confident and knowledgeable about government guidance and what visitors were required to do prior to entering the service. Professional visitors and relatives were tested for COVID-19 at the service or provided a negative lateral flow test result from that day. Visiting professionals and staff provided evidence of their vaccination status to the registered manager before entering the service.

Staff and people received regular testing for COVID-19 and emergency care givers were included in the testing programme. Visitors were supported to carry out a lateral flow test prior to visiting their relative. People were encouraged and supported to leave the service to visit relatives or access the local community. Relatives were able to visit their family members either in their rooms or communal lounge areas.

At the last inspection in August 2015 we had rated the service as good. At this inspection we found the service remained good and met each of the fundamental standards we inspected.

People told us they were well looked after and they appeared content and relaxed with the staff who supported them. Relatives told us they were satisfied with the service provided by Stapleton House staff. Staff knew the people they were supporting well.

People said they felt safe and they could speak to staff as they were approachable. We have made a recommendation about staffing levels to be kept under review and that staff are appropriately deployed to ensure people’s needs are met safely. We observed activities were not always available to keep some people engaged and stimulated in some areas of the home where staff were not always available. Improvements were required to some aspects of people’s dining experience in this part of the home.

Systems were in place for people to receive their medicines in a safe way. Risk assessments accurately identified current risks to the person, as well as ways for staff to minimise or appropriately manage these risks.

Staff had received training about safeguarding and knew how to respond to any allegation of abuse. When new staff were appointed, thorough vetting checks were carried out to make sure they were suitable to work with people who needed care and support.

Appropriate training was provided and staff were supervised and supported. Staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and best interest decision making, when people were unable to make decisions themselves. 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.

Detailed records accurately reflected the care provided by staff. Care was provided with kindness and people’s privacy and dignity were respected. Communication was effective in ensuring staff and relatives were kept up to date about any changes in people’s care and support needs and the running of the service.

People had access to health care professionals to make sure they received appropriate care and treatment. Staff followed advice given by professionals to make sure people received the care they needed. People received a varied and balanced diet to meet their nutritional needs.

A complaints procedure was available. Staff and relatives said the management team were approachable. People had the opportunity to give their views about the service. There was regular consultation with people and family members and their views were used to improve the service. People had access to an advocate if required. The home had a quality assurance programme to check the quality of care provided.

Changes had been made to the environment as a programme of refurbishment was taking place. Some areas that we identified at inspection for more immediate attention were dealt with straight away. The home promoted the orientation and independence of people who lived with dementia and further work was taking place as part of the refurbishment.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.