Background to this inspection
Updated
5 December 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by one inspector .
The Mendips Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection.
We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We met the three people who lived at the home to talk to them about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with one member of staff and the provider who is also the registered manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records and two medicine records. We looked at two staff files in relation to recruitment, training and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We asked for further feedback from a professional who regularly visits the service.
Updated
5 December 2019
About the service
The Mendips Care Home is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to seven people. The service supports people with complex mental health needs. We met the three people currently living in the home on the day of our visit.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
At our last inspection in September 2018 we found that audits were not being used to check the quality of the service. We found that some actions had been taken to implement audits, however, these were very basic. This could put people at risk of receiving unsafe care. This was because the systems used did not show clearly if the service was being formally and regularly checked and monitored. The provider lived on the premises and they told us they had a constant and daily contact with the service and the people at the home. This in turn meant they were constantly informally reviewing and checking the services people received.We have made a recommendation around how the service could improve in this area.
People were safely supported with their medicines and these were managed safely by competent staff. To support staff there were medicines policies available.
Emergency procedures and contingency plans were in place. Staff had access to and understood the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE). An infection control policy and procedure were in place and staff had completed training in this area.
People said they were very well supported and their full range of needs had been assessed.
Care plans and risk assessments were in place to support staff so people's individual needs could be met and risks minimised.
People told us positive things about life at the home. One comment was “The staff team are all very, very good they keep the place clean and tidy, they are always keen to help, if you want to do anything. You can have a laugh with them. "
Safe recruitment procedures were in place and staff were supported in their role with appropriate training and supervision. The staff and management team worked closely with health and social care professionals.
People knew about their care plans and told us they were included in regularly reviewing and updating them with the staff.
A small staff team had built up positive relationships with people and their relatives. They had a good understand of how to meet each person's individual needs and really understood their routines and preferences.
People's privacy and dignity was respected. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests
People's dietary needs were assessed and met. People spoke positively about the choice of meals on the menu.
People took part in variety of activities and spoke positively about these. People were encouraged to maintain contact with relatives and friends.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported support 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 Requires Improvement (report published September 2018)
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Mendips Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.