Archived: Stone House Care Home

Stone House is a care home providing personal care for up to 35 older people. All bedrooms are single with en suite facilities. There is a large dining room and a few small lounges. Accommodation is on two floors and access between floors is via a passenger lift or the stairs. There is an outside patio area and a sun terrace.

We last visited the service in May 2014 and found that the registered provider had met all of the regulations that applied to residential social care at that time.

The service has a registered manager 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 told us that they were happy living at Stone House and felt safe living there. They said they felt cared about and had their needs met. They were given a choice in how they wanted to live their lives and were complimentary about the registered manager.

People lived in an environment that was clean and hygienic. The premises were well maintained and furniture provided was of good quality. The environment was designed to enable people to move independently and remain safe.

People were further protected by the robust recruitment of new staff. The registered provider demonstrated that staff received up to date training on topics which related to the needs of people.

The nutritional needs of people were met and when people were at risk of malnutrition, prompt action was taken. Medication was well managed and promoted the health of people who used the service.

People received care that was personalised and met their needs effectively. Care plans were checked on a regular basis to ensure they were accurate and up to date. Care plans included an acknowledgement of the health needs of people but also placed emphasis on their social history and interests. We saw that care practice matched the information included within care plans.

An activity programme was in place and ensured that people had the opportunity to join in if they wished. People were provided with the opportunity to remain independent in pursuing their own interests both within and outside of the service and in maintaining their own personal care.

People did not have any complaints but were confident that the registered manager would listen to them and act upon them. No complaints had been received by the registered manager who stated that they preferred to be proactive in dealing with issues before a formal complaint was made.

The registered manager adopted an open and transparent style of manager and sought the views of all concerned about how the standards of care in Stone House could be maintained and improved upon. The registered manager also demonstrated a thorough knowledge of the individual needs of people living there and had sought to refine organisational records to achieve a smoother running of the service.

Below is a summary of what we found.

Is it safe?

We looked at four personal staff files, all of which contained the correct documentation for recruitment. We saw staff files contained evidence that satisfactory Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks were carried out before the staff member commenced employment.

All staff were able to tell us what they would do in an event of witnessing abuse. This included gathering basic information, ensuring people's safety and informing their line manager, local authority and the Care Quality Commission. All staff were aware of the need to document the incident.

Is it effective?

From discussions with staff and examination of training records we saw that staff were supported by the provider to gain National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) levels 2 and 3 in social care. Comments from staff included: "I have not worked anywhere else as good as here"; 'The manager has such high standards here' and 'We are well supported here'. Staff told us that the induction process was sufficient and thorough.

We saw there were sufficient levels of staff to meet people's needs. Staff were observed being kind and promoting people's independence. The relatives we spoke with commented that staff were always 'Polite' and 'Friendly'. All five staff that we spoke with said they were happy at the home and felt that the people who lived there all had quality of life.

Is it caring?

We saw people's needs were taken into account when care plans were developed. We saw several activities were planned such as: days out, games and entertainment. Relatives told us they reflected what the person enjoyed doing. We saw staff were sat with people in the lounge assisting them to knit. Staff told us they always have time to engage with people and do activities. Staff were observed being kind and promoting people's independence.

Is it responsive?

The chef told us that he talked to the people who used the service regularly to discuss what food they would like. We saw clear records of this which were updated regularly. He also explained he was flexible to prepare meals at short notice if a person who used the service wanted something that wasn't on the menu. This meant they were able to be flexible and responsive to people's needs.

We saw the provider conducted regularly monthly audits or 'monthly manager reports' in order to review the service. This included scrutiny of falls, complaints, quality of meals and activities. We were told by the manager she would then act accordingly dependant on what she found. We saw one month a person who used the service suffered several falls and the manager acted by contacting the GP who referred the person to physiotherapy. This meant the service was responsive.

Is it well-led?

The two relatives we spoke to told us the manager was 'Very professional' and 'Easy to talk to'. Staff said the provider was always obliging with further training and they felt that they had plenty of training to fulfil the duties and responsibilities of the job. All staff told us that she was 'Approachable' and they were able to openly discuss issues with her. They also felt she was a 'Good leader' and would deal with any concerns promptly.

The four people we spoke with said they received the help they needed and they felt safe. Comments included: "I love it here, it's a wonderful, happy place"; "They're there the minute you ring the bell, day or night"; "I'm very happy here"; "It's very good and I'm quite comfortable here".

People were supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs. People we spoke with had no complaints about the food and knew there were choices available. Comments included: "The food is beautiful, it's all fresh and there's nothing I dislike"; "The food is very nice"; "The cook will provide me with anything I ask for".

People also said they were happy with and confident in the staff working there. One person said "They're the kindest people I ever met" and another said "The carers are very nice and very helpful".

There were effective recruitment and selection processes in place and people were made aware of the complaints system.