Archived: Corner House Residential Care Home

During the inspection we considered the responses to the questions that 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 received care and support in an environment that was safe. Each person had a personal emergency evacuation plan that was written appropriate to their needs. There was a member of the management team available on call in case of emergencies.

There were procedures in place to identify and prevent abuse to people occurring. Referral procedures to external agencies were in place and staff spoken with were aware of who to contact, both internally and externally, should they suspect someone had been the victim of abuse.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to care homes. While no applications had needed to be submitted, proper policies and procedures were in place. The registered manager could explain the procedure for submitting an application, should one be required. A relative of a person we spoke with told us, 'My brother has lived there for many years; it is like it is his own home. He is very safe.'

Is the service effective?

The staff personnel records we looked at contained sufficient information that showed they had the skills and experience needed to support people living in the home. Staff spoken with had a good knowledge of people's needs. People we spoke with told us they were happy and their needs were being met. One person told us, 'We get what we need from the staff, they are great.'

Is the service caring?

We observed staff interacting with people. They were kind, patient and caring. They encouraged people to become involved with activities whilst enabling people to make their own decisions. People were not rushed and could make decisions in their own time. People seemed happy and reacted positively to all staff interaction. A person who used the service told us, 'My keyworker is great, I can discuss anything with them.' A visitor who provided a sing along activity for people told us, 'I have been coming here for two years now, everyone is so welcoming, it is a pleasure to come and work here. I have absolutely no worries about the place whatsoever.'

Is the service responsive?

People's needs had been assessed before they moved into the home. The registered manager told us that if someone new to the service required a specific area of support then they would ensure that staff received the appropriate training for this. An example we saw included a person who was a recovering alcoholic. Staff attended training in this area to ensure they could respond effectively to this person's specific need. Records we looked at confirmed that people's interests, beliefs and needs had been recorded and identified and staff responded positively to these.

Is the service well-led?

The registered manager had a number of effective systems in place to monitor the quality of service provided for people. Certain tasks had been delegated to the other members of staff in order to help them feel involved in the running of the home. Records showed that people had been asked for their views on the quality of the service they received. However, we saw staff and relatives had not been formally asked for their views.

Staff spoken with were aware of what their roles and responsibilities were and support plan records showed what people were to be consulted when decisions about a person's care were being discussed. We saw investment on the d'cor of the home such as furniture and carpets was planned and the registered manager told us people who used the service were consulted on what they would like. Staff, relatives and people who used the service spoke positively about the registered manager. A support worker told us, 'The manager is incredible, best I've worked for.'

We saw evidence that people were consulted before receiving care. One of the people who used the service told us, 'No-one tells me what to do, I have a choice, they (staff) talk to me.' A relative we spoke with told us, 'They always give my family member options, they never dictate to them.'

We saw that the building was safe, clean and adequately maintained. A person who used the service told us, 'I like the building, I like the colour. It's been decorated, it looks very homely.'

We saw that staff were trained for their role. One staff member told us, 'We are constantly trained and the training is just right for what we need.'

We saw that records relevant to the management of the service were stored securely, accurate and up to date