The Old Vicarage at Airmyn

Updated 7 April 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 10 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 7 April 2021

About the service

The Old Vicarage at Airmyn is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 22 older

people, some of whom may be living with dementia.

People's experience of using this service and what we found

People told us they were safe, happy and well cared for. Staff

were aware of the importance of keeping people safe and demonstrated a clear understanding of people's diverse needs and how to support their independence.

People received assessments of their needs which were used to formulate care records. Care records included information to provide person centred, safe care according to people's individual preferences. Where people were able to, they were fully involved in their care plans.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. We received positive feedback from people and our observations confirmed staff were attentive and responsive to their needs.

Staff followed best practice guidance to ensure medicines were managed and administered safely. People received support to take their medicines as prescribed. People had good access to other health professionals who provided additional support to maintain their wellbeing.

The provider completed checks on staff prior to commencing their duties to ensure they were suitable to work in the service. All staff completed an induction to their role and were provided with ongoing training, supervision and appraisal. Staff confirmed they were well supported to have the right skills and knowledge to support people safely in line with best practice guidance.

Staff spoke with enthusiasm about their roles and the people they supported. It was evident from discussions and observations staff had a very clear understanding of people's needs and people were responsive and settled in their company.

The registered manager and staff were passionate about the service and responsive to any concerns. Staff spoke positively about the way they were managed and the support they received. Everybody told us the management team were approachable and listened to them when they had any concerns.

A range of audits and checks were completed to maintain standards and identify improvements. Evaluation and review of external checks was being carried out to ensure the environment and equipment checks remained certified and safe. Completed and planned improvements had ensured the environment was suitable, and followed best practice, for people living with dementia.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 9 December 2016). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a first planned inspection in response to the change of provider for this location.

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.