We carried out a review of the data available to us about Stonehaven Residential 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 Stonehaven Residential Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
Stonehaven Residential Care Home provides care, support and accommodation for up to three people with a learning disability. At the time of the inspection there were three people living at the home.
The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People and relatives spoke positively about the staff and the care provided. One person told us, “I’m happy here. The staff are nice to me.” A relative said, “You couldn’t wish for better.”
There were systems in place to protect people from the risk of abuse. People appeared relaxed and comfortable with staff. There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs. Safe recruitment procedures were followed.
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 had choice and access to sufficient food and drink. Staff supported people to buy and prepare meals. People were supported to have access to a range of healthcare professionals to help ensure they remained healthy.
People were treated with kindness. Relatives said that staff were like family and commented on how homely Stonehaven Residential Care Home was.
People's care was developed around their wishes, preferences and goals. Social events were organised with the provider’s other services which people from Stonehaven Residential Care Home enjoyed attending. These joint events increased people’s social networks and helped promote friendships.
People and relatives were positive about the home. One relative said, “It’s very clean, comfortable and satisfying in every aspect. The rooms are lovely and they get healthy food.” A range of audits and checks were carried out to monitor the quality and safety of the service.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection and update
The last rating for this service was good (published 12 July 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on our inspection programme.
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.
Stonehaven Residential Care Home is a three bedroomed bungalow situated in Red Row, near Morpeth, which provides accommodation for up to three people with learning disabilities. Nursing care is not provided. At the time of the inspection there were three people using the service.
The home had a registered manager who had been registered since October 2011. 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.
Safeguarding procedures were in place. There had been no recent safeguarding matters formally investigated. The premises were effectively maintained and safety checks undertaken on a regular basis, including checks with regard to fire safety. Risk assessments were in place related to the environment and the delivery of care.
Appropriate staffing levels were maintained to support the needs of people living at the home. Suitable recruitment procedures and checks were in place to ensure staff employed at the home had the correct skills and experience. Medicines at the home were managed and administered safely and effectively. People were supported to access adequate food and drink.
Staff said they were able to access the training they required and records confirmed mandatory training was up to date. Staff told us, and records confirmed there were regular supervision sessions and that they had an annual appraisal.
The registered manager had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. One person currently living at the home had restrictions in place linked to the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Two other people were in the process of being assessed as to whether they met the legal requirements. Where people did not have capacity or full understanding to make decisions then best interests decisions had been taken and documented.
People had access to health care professionals to help maintain their wellbeing and staff responded to any health concerns. There was a homely feel to the building and people’s individual rooms were decorated to their tastes.
Relatives we spoke with told us they felt the care was good, personal and responsive to people’s needs. Questionnaire responses from people and relatives of people living at the home indicated the service was good. We observed positive relationships between people and staff. Staff were empathetic in their approach. People were treated with dignity and respect.
People had individualised care plans that addressed their identified needs. Reviews of care needs involved individuals and family members, as appropriate. Individuals were supported to engage in a range of events and activities linked to their interests, both within the home and in the community. No formal complaints had been received in the previous 12 months.
The registered manager showed us records confirming regular checks and audits were carried out at the home, including checks by the provider’s nominated individual. Staff were positive about the leadership of the home and the registered manager, who they said had a good understanding of people’s needs. The provider was meeting legal requirements in relation to notifying the CQC of events and displaying their current quality rating. Records were complete and up to date.
The inspection took place on 17 March 2015 and was announced. The provider was given 48 hours’ notice of the inspection because both the registered manager and people who lived in the home were often out in the local community. We needed to be sure that they would be in the home at the time of the inspection.
The home was last inspected in May 2013 when we found they were meeting all the regulations we inspected.
Stonehaven provides care for up to three people who have learning disabilities. There were three people living there at the time of the inspection.
There was 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 and associated regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they felt safe. Staff knew what action to take if abuse was suspected.
We saw that the building was well maintained and clean. Medicines were managed safely.
People, staff and relatives told us there were enough staff to meet people’s needs.
Many of the staff had worked at the service for a considerable number of years. We saw that Criminal Record Bureau checks now known as Disclosure and Barring Service checks had been carried out, although there were some issues with the service’s recording of when these checks had been obtained. The manager was in the process of renewing DBS checks for all staff.
CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). DoLS are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). These safeguards aim to make sure that people are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. The manager was submitting DoLS applications to the local authority in line with legal requirements.
Staff informed us that there was plenty of training available. This was confirmed by staff training records we viewed.
People told us that they were happy with the meals provided at the home. They told us and our own observations confirmed that people were involved in the planning and preparation of meals.
People and the relatives with whom we spoke told us that staff were caring. People said that they were happy living at Stonehaven. One person told us, “It’s perfect.” Comments from relatives included, “It’s a lovely place” and “The staff are so kind.”
People were supported to maintain their hobbies and interests and housekeeping skills were encouraged to help promote people’s independence.
There was a complaints procedure in place. The manager told us that no complaints had been received. There were a number of feedback mechanisms to obtain the views from people, relatives and staff. These included meetings and surveys.
The nominated individual was not currently monitoring the service because of an ongoing investigation. A nominated individual has responsibility for supervising the way that the regulated activity is managed. We had requested that an interim nominated individual be appointed eight months ago; however, this had not yet happened.
We had no concerns about the registered manager or her leadership; we considered however, that improvements were needed with regards to the nominated individual situation to ensure that clear and transparent processes were in place for all staff to account for their decisions, actions, behaviours and performance.
People told us their consent was gained prior to care being delivered and we found that staff acted in accordance with their wishes. We found that people's care and support needs were appropriately assessed and their care was planned. They received care safely, and to an appropriate standard.
People were cared for in a clean and hygienic environment and we found the provider had appropriate measures in place to monitor and manage infection control.
There were enough suitably skilled and qualified staff on duty to met people's needs safely and appropriately.
We saw the provider had a complaints policy and procedure in place and that complaints raised had been handled appropriately.
People said that staff helped them to shop for food and personal possessions. They said staff cooked meals that they enjoyed and helped them to stay healthy.