We carried out a review of the data available to us about Spencer House Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Spencer House Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Spencer House Care Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 65 younger and older people, including people living with dementia, mental health and/or physical disabilities. There were 52 people receiving care at the time of the inspection
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People were supported by staff who knew them well and had been safely recruited. Staff received training to ensure they had the skills to complete their roles.
People were protected from abuse. The provider had effective safeguarding and whistleblowing systems and policies in place and staff understood how to recognise signs of abuse and who to report to.
People told us they felt safe and that staff were “Kind, polite, respectful and caring.” Relative’s told us they were comfortable with the care given at Spencer House.
Risks had been assessed and strategies implemented to mitigate risks. Care plans detailed people’s preferences as to how they liked their care to be delivered and included likes and dislikes, and how they wished the staff to communicate with them. People and relatives told us they were involved in their care planning. People had signed consent forms for information to be shared.
The environment appeared clean and infection prevention and control measures were in place. Staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) and cleaning schedules were in place.
The registered manager completed regular audits to ensure lessons could be learnt and improvements made as needed and implemented some improvements immediately after inspection regarding medicines management.
People staff and relatives were all positive about the service and the registered manager. Complaints had been responded to and outcome communicated with all the relevant people as appropriate.
Staff felt supported and were able to feedback and give suggestions to the registered manager on the service. People felt included and updated on changes being made.
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 3 January 2018).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to staff knowledge and safe care. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.
We reviewed the information we held about the service. No areas of concern were identified in the other key questions. We therefore did not inspect them. Ratings from previous comprehensive inspections for those key questions were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection.
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.
The home also works in partnership with the local NHS hospital (Northampton General Hospital) to provide care for up to 24 people on Blenheim Ward; where people are still under the medical care of the hospital and are being assessed for discharge from hospital. Medical and therapy staff from the hospital work in the home alongside nursing and care staff from Spencer House Care Home to provide all care.
The home consists of three floors, communal areas and gardens in the town of Northampton, Northamptonshire.
At the last Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection on 17 May 2016, the service was rated as Good. Before this inspection we received information of concern regarding staffing levels on Blenheim Ward which had an impact on the quality of people’s care. We planned to inspect again in summer 2018, but brought forward the inspection due to these concerns. At this inspection we found that the provider had identified the staffing issues and responded appropriately to ensure people received their planned care.
People continued to feel safe. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities to safeguard people from the risk of harm. Risk assessments were in place and were reviewed regularly.
Staffing levels ensured that people's care and support needs were safely met. Safe recruitment processes were in place.
People received care from staff that had received training and support to carry out their roles. People were supported to have enough to eat and drink to maintain their health and well-being.
People were supported to access relevant health and social care professionals. There were systems in place to manage medicines in a safe way.
Staff demonstrated their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 (MCA). Staff gained people's consent before providing personal care. People were involved in the planning of their care which was person centred and updated regularly.
People were encouraged to make decisions about how their care was provided and their privacy and dignity were protected and promoted. People had developed positive relationships with staff. Staff had a good understanding of people's needs and preferences.
People were listened to, their views were acknowledged and acted upon and care and support was delivered in the way that people chose and preferred.
People using the service and their relatives knew how to raise a concern or make a complaint. There was a complaints system in place and people were confident that any complaints would be responded to appropriately.
The service had an open culture which encouraged communication and learning. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback about the service and it was used to drive continuous improvement.
The provider had quality assurance systems to review the quality of the service to help drive improvement.
accommodation for up to 65 people who require nursing or residential care for a range of personal care needs.There were 59 people in residence during this inspection. The home had three distinct units over three floors. Benheim Unit provided short term care for people on discharge from hospital. The Churchill Unit provided care for people living with dementia and Althorpe Unit provided residential care.
There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.
During our previous inspection in May 2015 we found that the systems to manage medicines on the Blenheim Unit were not robust enough to ensure that people received their prescribed medicines. During this inspection we found that the medicines management on the Blenheim Unit was safe. There were appropriate arrangements for the management of medicines in all areas of the home.
People were safeguarded from harm as the provider had systems in place to prevent, recognise and report concerns to the relevant authorities. Staff knew their responsibilities as defined by the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA 2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and had applied that knowledge appropriately.
There were sufficient numbers of experienced staff that were supported to carry out their roles to meet the assessed needs of people living at the home. Staff received training in areas that enabled them to understand and meet the care needs of each person. Recruitment procedures protected people from receiving unsafe care from care staff unsuited to the role.
People’s care and support needs were continually monitored and reviewed to ensure that care was
provided in the way that they needed. People had been involved in planning and reviewing their care when they wanted to.
People were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink to maintain a balanced diet. Staff monitored people’s health and well-being and ensured people had access to healthcare professionals when required.
Staff understood the importance of obtaining people’s consent when supporting them with their daily living needs. People experienced caring relationships with the staff that provided good interaction by taking the time to listen and understand what people needed.
People’s needs were met in line with their individual care plans and assessed needs. Staff took time to get to know people and ensured that people’s care was tailored to their individual needs.
People had their comments and complaints listened to and acted on, without the fear that they would be discriminated against for making a complaint.
People were supported by a team of staff that had the managerial guidance and support they needed to carry out their roles. The quality of the service was monitored by the audits regularly carried out by the manager and by the provider.
This inspection took place on the 11 and 18 May 2015 and was unannounced.
The service is registered to provide nursing and personal care, treatment for disease, disorder or illness and diagnosis and screening for up to 64 older people. The service provides care to people living with dementia, mental Health conditions, old age, physical disability, sensory Impairment and younger adults. At the time of our inspection there were 51 people living there. The premises are purpose built and provide facilities for people with disability.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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 were protected from the risks associated with the recruitment of new staff because the provider had robust recruitment systems in place; which included appropriate checks on the suitability of new staff to work in the home. Staff received a thorough induction training to ensure they had the skills to fulfil their roles and responsibilities. There were enough staff available to meet their needs and there was a stable staff team.
Systems were in pace to ensure people were protected from abuse; staff had received training and were aware of their responsibilities in raising any concerns about people’s welfare. Peoples’ care was planned to ensure they received the individual support that they required to maintain their health, safety, independence, mobility and nutrition. People received support that maintained their privacy and dignity. Systems for the management of medicines were in place were safe and effective on the Churchill and Althorpe Units. However medicines were not always effective and safely managed on the Blenheim Unit.
Staff were able update and maintain their skills through a robust training programme. Consent was sought from people before any personal care or support was provided and people were supported to have sufficient to eat and drink and maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to health care services.
People were cared for with kindness and compassion and were supported to express their views about their care and support and their privacy and dignity was maintained. People had opportunities participate in the organised activities that were taking place in the home and were able to be involved in the running of the home.
There were formal systems in place to assess people’s capacity for decision making under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
People had confidence in the management of the home and there were robust systems in place to assess the quality of service provided. The management took swift action to address concerns raised about the safety of the medication systems on the Blenheim Unit.