Cooper House

Cooper House is a residential care home providing personal care to 28 people at the time of the inspection. The service operates within a purpose-built building and can support up to 32 people.

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

People were protected from the risk of abuse. Care staff had received safeguarding training and the provider had safeguarding policies and procedures in place.

People lived in an environment which was regularly checked, by the provider, to ensure that it was safe.

People were supported by enough care staff to meet their care and support needs. The provider carried out checks to ensure that the care staff employed were safe to work with vulnerable people.

People were given their prescribed medications safely, by senior care staff who had been appropriately trained. The registered manager was implementing improvements to the way that prescribed skin creams were recorded and monitored.

People lived in an environment that was clean and tidy. Care staff understood how to reduce the potential for infections and wore disposable gloves and aprons when carrying out personal care tasks with people.

People had care plans in place which care staff followed to ensure people’s support needs were met.

People were supported by care staff who had received the necessary training. Arrangements were in place to ensure that effective handovers took place between care staff shifts.

People told us they enjoyed the food, and people were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet.

People were supported to access healthcare when they needed it, and the care staff worked in partnership with health care professionals to ensure people were appropriately supported.

The care home was purpose-built and met the needs of the people living there. There were different rooms available for people to spend time in during the day, so they could follow their interests.

People were treated with kindness and compassion by the care staff. The provider ensured that people’s equality and diversity needs were met.

People were involved in creating their own care plans, where they were able to. Residents meetings took place, so people could give their views to the provider about any wider changes they wanted to see in the service provided.

People’s privacy, dignity and independence were respected and maintained by the care staff.

People’s communication needs were understood, and the registered manager ensured information was provided in ways that people could understand.

People were supported to maintain links with their families and friends. The provider encouraged people to visit the care home and take part in activities with their relatives and friends.

People were enabled to plan for the end of their life, where they chose to, and were supported with kindness by care staff.

The registered manager ensured that the person’s relatives were informed when any incidents occurred. The registered manager understood their responsibility to be open and honest with people when something goes wrong.

People were supported by managers and care staff who understood their roles and the need to provide a quality service.

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 CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 24 December 2016).

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 re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Cooper House is a care home that provides residential care without nursing for up to 32 people. At the time of our inspection there were 32 people in residence. The service is located within a residential area, which provides accommodation over two floors.

This was our first inspection of the service since they registered with us on 2 February 2015.

A registered manager was in post. 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’s safety and welfare was promoted by the staff. The registered manager and staff were trained in safeguarding adults, understood their responsibility and were aware of the procedures to follow if they suspected that someone was at risk of harm.

People’s needs were assessed and measures were in place to ensure risks could be managed safely. Care plans provided staff with clear information in order to support people safely. A pro-active approach to reviewing people’s care and amending the care plan helped to ensure ongoing needs were met, whilst promoting peoples’ independence.

People received their medicines at the right times. There were safe systems in place to store, manage and administer medicines safely were safe. People had access to health support and referrals were made to relevant health care professionals where there were concerns about people’s health.

People told us they were provided with a choice of meals that met their dietary needs. People were asked for their views about the meals provided and their preferences were taken into account in the menu planning.

People’s safety was promoted through the employment of sufficient numbers of staff to provide the support people required. Staff received training, support and guidance through supervision and meetings, which has increased their confidence and knowledge in the support of people.

The registered manager and staff were clear about their responsibilities around the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and were dedicated in their approach to supporting people to make informed decisions about their care. Assessments to determine people’s capacity to make informed decisions about their care had been undertaken.

People told us staff were kind and caring towards them. Staff knew how to support people living with dementia and recognised when people used non-verbal communication to express themselves. People had developed positive relationships with staff and were confident that they would address any concerns or complaint they might have.

People were involved and made decisions about their care and support needs. Care plans were focused on the person and incorporated advice from health and social care professionals. People told us that the staff were responsive to their needs and requests for assistance. People’s care records were organised and easily accessible. That meant in the event of a medical emergency people would be assured that staff knew would act in line with their care plan and wishes.

People’s care was personalised and centred on their individual preferences and lifestyle choices. People were supported to maintain their independence and responsibilities, and take part in activities that were of interest to them, observe their faith and access the wider community.

People were confident in how the service was managed. People’s views and opinions of their relatives and staff were sought in a number of ways including meetings and surveys.

The registered manager was committed to providing quality care by following the provider’s procedures, an awareness of their legal responsibilities and supported staff. The provider’s quality assurance systems were robust and the proactive approach to good governance meant information gathered through quality audits was used to continually develop the service.