Victoria House (Wallasey)

Updated 28 January 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 19 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours notice of the inspection.

Updated 28 January 2022

About the service

Victoria House is a residential care home providing personal care to 50 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 56 people.

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

At the last inspection, the provider was in breach of a number of regulations. This inspection reviewed three of these regulations to establish whether improvements had been made.

Although improved systems were in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service, systems didn’t always identify all the issues we found to ensure there was sufficient oversight and evaluation of risk to people. This is a continued breach of regulation 17 (Good Governance).

The management of medication had improved. Storage was robust and appropriate systems were in place to manage controlled drugs. Further development was needed strengthen the guidance available to staff in relation to ‘as required’ medicines. We have made a recommendation about this.

The provider had addressed the issues identified in previous inspections in relation to infection control and environmental safety. Additional and improved shower facilities had been installed as well as new sluice facilities. The garden area was secure and the smoking room had been made safe. Additional smoking facilities were available outside of the building.

Systems to investigate accident and incidents had improved and these were being regularly reviewed to learn from these events to prevent them from happening again in the future. Where the provider was required to report accidents and incidents to CQC, we found these records were complete and well maintained.

Staff members employed at the service were recruited safely. The number of staff on duty was sufficient to meet people's needs. Staff had received sufficient training and support and knew how to safeguard people from the risk of abuse.

Improvements had been made to ensure legal requirements were followed where a person was unable to consent to their care. 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 now supported this practice.

People received enough to eat and drink and health needs were being met. There were a range health and social professionals involved in people's care.

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 inadequate (published 16 October 2019) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found some improvements had been made, however the provider was still in breach of regulations.

This service has been in Special Measures since 16 October 2019. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 20 August 2019. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment, need for consent, privacy and dignity, person centred care and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements in relation to safe care and treatment, needs for consent and good governance. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective 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 has changed from inadequate to requires improvement. 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 Victoria House (Wallasey) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. 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 monitor the service to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.

We have identified a continued breach in relation to governance at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and 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.