This inspection took place on 25 June 2018 and was unannounced. This meant nobody at the service knew we were coming. This was the first inspection of the service since the registered provider changed in January 2018. Overdale is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Overdale can accommodate up to 24 people that require accommodation and personal care. The home is an adapted building over three floors, with access to a garden. Overdale is a non-profit making voluntary home, run by a committee of Christian people from various churches. At the time of our inspection there were 18 people living at Overdale.
There was a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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 living at Overdale told us they felt safe. We saw there were enough staff available to meet people’s needs in a timely way and to keep people safe. Staff had completed safeguarding adults training and were aware of their responsibilities in protecting people from abuse.
People received their medicines as prescribed and there were procedures in place to support staff in the safe administration of medication. The deputy manager was in the process of auditing medication stock levels as some discrepancies had been identified. We have made a recommendation about the management of some medicines.
People’s needs were assessed when they moved into Overdale. Suitable risk assessments were in place, such as moving and handling, use of equipment and risk of falls. People’s care records were detailed, person centred and clearly set out what care the staff needed to provide. We saw people’s needs were kept under review, as were their risk assessments and care records. People were involved in planning and reviewing their care. Their likes, dislikes and care preferences were clearly recorded.
People we spoke with and their relatives were very positive about the staff at Overdale and the care they received. People told us Overdale was like one big family. We observed positive interactions between people living at Overdale and the staff, which contributed to the friendly atmosphere in the home.
Staff treated people living at Overdale with dignity and respect. Staff were trained in equality and diversity and we saw they promoted and respected people’s cultural and spiritual needs.
People had access to a wide range of community based healthcare professionals, such as GPs, district nurses and chiropodists. In the care records we checked we saw people received medical attention when needed.
The service offered a wide range of activities for people living at Overdale. People told us there was always something going on and were enthusiastic about the regular activities which took place each week. People’s relatives were encouraged to participate in the activities and people told us their relatives were always welcome at Overdale.
People, their relatives and the staff all spoke highly of the registered manager. Staff told us the registered manager was always available if they needed support. The registered manager completed regular audits of the service to make sure action was taken and lessons learned when things went wrong. This meant systems were in place to support the continuous improvement of the service.