Archived: Garside House Nursing Home

People who used the service told us "The daytime staff are adorable" and "People are nice to me, it's very good here.' Relatives we spoke with told us that the nursing side of things was good and that staff were friendly and helpful.

We looked at people's care records and saw that these contained a medical history and medication details. We saw that a range of risk assessments had been carried out including falls and mobility, food and nutrition and personal care.

There were a range of activities available for people who used the service. This included seated exercises, craft sessions and outings. A new programme of sensory based activities had recently been introduced.

There were arrangements in place to deal with foreseeable emergencies. We saw that people had call bell systems in their rooms. Relevant staff were first aid trained and all nursing staff had been trained in resuscitation procedures.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The relevant staff were aware of the policies and procedures relating to the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and understood when an application should be made and how to submit one. No applications had been submitted at the time of our visit.

Staffing levels were in line with the provider's policies and we noted from staff rotas that there were sufficient numbers of staff on duty on the day we visited.

People and their relatives and friends were invited to attend meetings in order to discuss issues such as the range of activities, complaints, updates on service structure and the recruitment of new staff. The last meeting was held on 29th July 2014.

There were systems in place to record accidents/incidents and information available to people who used the service and their relatives/friends about how to make a complaint.

The deputy manager told us that staff morale had been affected by the changes that had recently taken place in the management structure and by the announcement of a possible takeover bid by a new provider. We were told the service was actively trying to recruit new staff.

Medicines were stored securely and administered safely. People who used the service told us that they received their medication when they needed it. Any medication errors were reported to management and investigated.

Overall, there were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people's needs. Staff told us they felt there were enough staff each shift, but if they were short-staffed then there were systems in place to get replacement or additional staff. People who used the service liked the staff, but one person told us that they sometimes had to wait for staff to attend to them. We observed care on the two floors at the service and saw that people had regular interaction with staff.

There were systems in place to ensure that people's comments and complaints were investigated and dealt with. People who used the service told us that they knew how to make a complaint and felt comfortable doing so.