Castle Park

About the service

Castle Park is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to people aged 65 and over. The service can support up to 40 people. At the time of our inspection there were 17 people using the service.

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

People were protected from the risk of harm as assessments were undertaken and followed. Staff knew the procedure to follow to report concerns. People were supported safely by staff as records were up to date and completed. This meant staff had guidance to support people safely. The home was cleaned to a good standard and well maintained and free from environmental risks. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed. Staff were recruited safely, and there was enough staff deployed at the service.

People were supported by staff that were trained to carry out their roles. People were supported to eat and drink. Where people were at risk of malnutrition and dehydration this was monitored, and referrals made to the relevant healthcare professionals. People were supported to access health care services. 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.

People, relatives, and staff were encouraged to feedback into the running of the service. The provider and registered manager worked alongside partner agencies to enhance the support provided to people. In response to partner agency concerns, improvements required in the governance and oversight of the home had been acted on. Lessons had been learned when things went wrong. This improved people’s outcomes.

For more information, please read the detailed findings section of this report. If you are reading this as a separate summary, the full report can be found on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was good (published 28 January 2020).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the management oversight, the staffing levels and the infection control and hygiene standards at the home and the lack of capacity assessments. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has not changed following this inspection.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm as the provider had taken the required action to ensure practices were improved. Please see the safe, effective, and well-led sections of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Castle Park on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

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, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Castle Park is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 27 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 40 people.

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

Systems and processes were in place designed to protect people from abuse. People felt safe and had confidence in staff and the registered manager. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and staff were recruited in a safe way. People’s medicines were managed in a safe way so that people received their prescribed medicines at the right time and the right way. Risks were assessed and managed to keep people safe while also upholding their freedom and autonomy.

Care and support was delivered in a line with current legislation and achieved good outcomes for people. Staff received the training and support they required to meet people’s needs. People were supported to eat and drink enough and enjoyed the meals provided. People were able to access the healthcare services they required and staff knew how to recognise when people’s health had deteriorated.

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.

People were treated with kindness and compassion. People and staff had developed positive relationships. Staff knew people well and knew how to provide reassurance when this was required. People were actively involved in making decisions about their care and support. Staff respected people’s privacy, dignity and independence.

Care and support was person centred and met people’s needs. Staff understood and respected people’s equality and diversity needs. People were able to follow their interests and hobbies and enjoyed the range of activities provided. People knew how to make a complaint and felt confident doing so. Complaints were taken seriously and used as an opportunity to improve the service.

The culture of the service was open and inclusive. People and staff had confidence in their manager and said they were engaged and listened to. Staff were proud of the care and support they delivered and motivated to achieve good outcomes for people. There were effective quality monitoring systems and audits were used to identify shortfalls and take action to improve. Staff worked with other agencies such as the local authority, clinical commissioning group and other healthcare professionals to ensure people received all of the support they required.

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 21 February 2017).

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.

Castle Park is a care home that provides personal and nursing care for up to 40 people. At the time of our inspection there were 34 people in residence. The service is located in the city centre close to local amenities Accommodation is over three floors.

This was our first inspection of the service since they registered with us on 26 February 2016.

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 care needs had been assessed and measures to manage risks were put in place. The care plans for people with complex health needs were personalised and provided staff with clear information to ensure their health needs were met. Care plans were being amended to reflect people’s abilities, interests and hobbies and accessible to staff. This meant people could be assured their care was personalised and tailored to their needs and lifestyle choices.

People were involved in a meaningful way in the review of their care but outcomes were not always reflected in there care plans. Despite this staff were knowledgeable about the support people required and their preferences.

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

People received their medicines at the right times. People had access to health support and referrals were made to relevant health care professionals where there were concerns about people’s health. The registered manager worked closely with relevant health care professionals to ensure people’s ongoing health needs were met. Arrangements were in place to ensure people were pain free and had the support they needed towards the end of their life.

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.

Staff were subject to a thorough recruitment procedure that ensured staff and nurses were qualified and suitable to work at the service. Staff received training, support and guidance through supervision and meetings in order to meet people’s needs effectively. The registered manager provided clinical support to staff to ensure their competency and practice was safe.

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 how people expressed 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 needs were met and their lifestyle choices respected. People maintained contact with family and friends and took part in social events and activities that were of interest to them.

People were confident in how the service was managed and the abilities of the management team to ensure the service provided was effective. 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 and showed an awareness of their legal responsibilities. They promoted a culture of openness and promoted staff’s learning and professional development. The provider’s governance system to monitor and assess the quality of the service was in place. Various audits had been carried out. The registered manager had taken action to improve the systems to record and effectively monitor the improvements made to the service.