• Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Eleighwater House Retirement Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Combe St. Nicholas, Chard, TA20 3AG (01460) 67532

Provided and run by:
Mrs Tabitha Angela Twidale

Important: The provider of this service changed. See new profile

All Inspections

29 March 2018

During a routine inspection

This was an unannounced inspection on 29 March 2018.

Eleighwater House Retirement Home is a care home for up to 5 older people. The family run home provides personal care in a pleasant rural environment. The home is located in a traditional house and is arranged over two floors. The service provides personalised care and supports people with many different care requirements. At the time of the inspection there were 5 people living in the home.

At the last inspection in December 2015 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

People told us they were looked after very well at Eleighwater. They said it was, “Overall a nice place to be.” People enjoyed the small, informal environment. The registered manager and their family lived in the grounds of the home. Their regular contact with people and the size of the home contributed to relaxed family style care and support.

People’s comfortable and personalised life-style was supported by the registered manager’s knowledge of good care practice and sound administrative systems.

People felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. They had no worries and were confident they could talk to staff. They had confidence any concerns they had would be promptly addressed by the staff.

The provider had systems and processes in place to keep people safe and minimise the risk of abuse. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs in a relaxed manner.

The registered manager and staff were very pro-active in arranging for people to see health care professionals according to their individual needs. Staff noted changes in people’s health and requested GP visits when required.

People were supported by kind and caring staff. One person said, “Staff are always very attentive and kind.” Another person said, “This is an excellent place. Lovely atmosphere.” A member of staff said, “This is the best place I have worked by far. We are able to give good all round care here.”

People were able to make choices about all aspects of their day to day lives. Their care was responsive to their needs and personalised to their wishes and preferences

There were formal and informal quality assurance systems in place to monitor care and plan on-going improvements. There were audits and checks in place to monitor safety and quality of care.

The service was well run by a registered manager and staff manager who had the skills and experience to run the home so people received high quality person-centred care. The manager led a team of staff who shared their commitment to high standards of care and clear vision of the type of home they hoped to create for people.

Further information is in the detailed findings below

21 December 2015

During a routine inspection

This inspection was unannounced and took place on 21 December 2015.

Eleighwater House is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to five people. The home specialises in the care of older people without nursing needs. At the time of the inspection five people were living at the home. The home is currently planning on future development to incorporate a further four bedrooms.

The last inspection of the home was carried 21 May 2014. No concerns were identified with the care being provided to people at that inspection.

There is 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.

The registered manager was appropriately qualified and experienced to manage the home. The registered manager was also the provider and lived in the grounds of the home with other members of their family who were also involved in the running of the home One member of family was the nominated Individual of the home. We observed family members all had different roles within the home. The registered manager and their family members were well respected and liked by staff and people who used the service. One person told us “it is like being part of a large family, its lovely”.

Eleighwater was run as a large family home. Visitors to the home were seen to walk in without having to wait for the door to be opened for them. All visitors seemed to enjoy the initial welcome by the family dog. The home had chickens which people informed us came up to the dining room doors in the summer months.

There was a happy relaxed atmosphere within the home, people were seen to be at the heart of the service. Everyone we spoke with including staff members were happy to be living there. We observed people were treated with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff promoted people independence and their right to choice and privacy.

People told us they felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. One person said “I used to live in a home that was bigger than this, I feel safer here, there is always someone about”.

People’s privacy was respected and all personal care was provided in private. People told us they were able to have visitors at any time. Each person who lived at the home had a single room where they were able to see personal or professional visitors in private.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to support people safely and ensure people were not rushed with their care. Staff told us there was good team work and support from the registered manager and other members of the family.

A recruitment process ensured all staff were fully checked for their suitability to work with vulnerable people before they started work, this helped to minimise the risk of abuse to people. Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse and all were confident action would be taken to protect people if they raised any concerns.

People’s nutritional needs were assessed to make sure they received a diet in line with their needs and wishes. One person informed us they had recently had some problems with eating they stated “the staff were so helpful, they made my food soft so I could eat without pain”.

Safe systems were in place to protect people from the risks associated with medicines. Medicines were managed in accordance with best practice guidelines. Medicines were stored and administered and recorded safely. The home arranged for people to see health care professionals according to their individual needs.

People told us they are kept busy with a wide range of activities available for them. People were seen to enjoy their own personal interests and hobbies. One person informed us how they had made bouquets for the registered managers daughter’s wedding and how everyone had been invited along to enjoy the day with the family.

People received care that was effective, and support which promoted independence where possible. People’s healthcare needs were monitored and they were assisted to attend appointments with relevant healthcare professionals according to their individual needs.

There were quality assurance systems in place to enable the provider to monitor care and plan on-going improvements. People’s views and suggestions were sought to make sure changes were made in line with people’s wishes where appropriate.

22 May 2014

During a routine inspection

An adult social care inspector carried out this inspection. We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcomes we inspected. We used the information to answer the five questions we always ask:

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

This is a summary of what we found:

Is the service safe?

People told us they felt safe at the home. One person said: 'I feel safe here, I go to bed with no worries because I know there's always someone here. If I ring the bell they come instantly.'

The recruitment procedure minimised the risks of abuse to people who lived at the home by making sure all staff were thoroughly checked before beginning work.

People lived in a safe environment. Regular health and safety checks were carried out to ensure all areas of the home and any equipment used were safe.

There were safe systems in place to make sure people received the correct medication at the correct time.

Risk assessments for individuals were incorporated into care plans. This made sure care was provided in a safe way and enabled people to take part in activities with minimum risk to themselves or others.

CQC is required by law to monitor the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. We found the location to be meeting the requirements of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. While no applications have been submitted relevant staff have been trained to understand when an application should be made, and in how to submit one. People's rights were therefore properly recognised, respected and promoted.

Is the service effective?

People received effective care and support to meet their needs and wishes. Everyone said they felt well cared for at the home. One person said: 'I couldn't ask for anything better. I'd give it 10 out of 10.' Another person told us: 'They encourage you to be independent but there is always help when you need it.'

People told us they continued to make decisions about their day to day routines. People said they were able to choose what time they got up, when they went to bed and how they spent their day. One person said: 'I'm an early to bed person, always have been, no one worries about that here.'

Staff who worked at the home received appropriate training to make sure they were able to provide care to meet people's specific needs.

Is the service caring?

Everyone who lived at the home was very complimentary about the staff who supported them. Comments included: 'They are all good' and 'I think the staff are all kind and would do anything for you.' We saw one person who was unable to communicate their views verbally, was extremely relaxed with the staff who supported them and smiled and laughed with them.

People were treated with respect and dignity. Throughout the visit we saw and heard staff interact with people who lived at the home in a friendly and polite manner. Where people needed support with personal care staff provided this in a discreet and respectful way. One person told us: 'They treat us all like human beings; it's like being part of a family.'

Is the service responsive?

The home monitored people's health and responded to changes in need. We saw that where a person's physical needs had changed the home made adjustments to the care and support provided. This made sure they continued to receive appropriate care to meet their needs.

People received care that was very personal to them. Staff demonstrated an excellent knowledge of the people who lived at the home. All were able to tell us about people's needs and their preferences. One member of staff told us: 'Because it's such a small home you get to know people really well and you can just provide things the way they want.' A person who lived at the home told us: 'It's nice to be somewhere small everyone understands you.'

Is the service well led?

The owner worked alongside care staff at the home which enabled them to monitor care on a daily basis. People told us the provider was open and approachable. One person said: 'You can talk to her about anything. Well you can talk to any of the staff about anything really.'

People's views were listened to and action was taken to make sure suggestions were put in place where appropriate. One person said: 'She always wants to know how things are. We talk about things like food and they make menus up from our suggestions.'

People we spoke with did not have any complaints about the care or service they received. However all said they would be able to address any issues with the provider. One person said: 'You are always listened to. They never just shrug things off.'

7 November 2013

During a routine inspection

The owners provided the majority of care in the home but some part time staff were employed. On the day of the inspection the owners were working with one other member of staff.

People were very complimentary about the staff who supported them. People told us 'The staff are so good' and 'They are all kind and polite but you can have a bit of fun with them as well.'

People were very happy with the care they received. One person said 'Everything is very nice and I certainly feel well looked after.' Another person told us 'I am very comfortable. They can't do enough for you.'

People had access to healthcare professionals to meet their specific needs. Care plans that we read contained records of appointments with healthcare professionals including doctors, community nurses and chiropodists.

All areas of the building that we saw were clean and fresh. People who lived at the home were happy with the standards of cleanliness. One person said 'Everywhere is always so lovely and clean.'

Medication was not always administered in line with good practice guidelines which could place people at risk of receiving the wrong medication.

Systems in place to monitor the quality of the service offered and ensure the safety of people were appropriate to the size of the home.

7 February 2013

During a routine inspection

There was a very relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the home. People appeared very comfortable with the staff and the owners. We noted that people were spoken with in a friendly and respectful manner. We saw that staff showed patience and kindness when assisting people.

People who lived at the home said that they continued to make decisions about their day to day lives and their care. One person told us 'I can do want I want. I make the decisions about the help that I get and when I get it.'

Everyone we asked said that they were very happy with the care and support they received. Comments included; 'I feel well cared for' and 'Everything is very comfortable, I couldn't ask for anything better.'

We observed that people who lived at the home were well dressed and well presented. This showed that staff spent time to assist people with their personal care needs.

We saw that staff encouraged people to remain independent and offered support in a discreet manner which protected their dignity.

We looked at three staff personal files. Files contained application forms and evidence of formal interviews. The home carried out Criminal Records Bureau (CRB) checks before a new member of staff began work. This made sure that only people with the appropriate experience and character were employed at the home.

The owner worked alongside employed staff which enabled them to supervise staff and monitor standards on an ongoing basis.