19 May 2016
During a routine inspection
Inwood House provides accommodation and personal care for up to 55 older people and people living with dementia. There were 54 people living there at the time of our inspection, 30 of whom were living with dementia.
The service had a registered manager in place. 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 a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We saw evidence that the people who lived there were supported to maintain their health and social care needs and referrals had been made appropriately to services such as chiropody, dietician, speech and language therapy services, GP, district nurses, and dental services. The home also had a good range of preventative equipment such as pressure mattresses, pressure cushions on loan from the local community equipment service plus profiling beds and moving and handling equipment which were well maintained and serviced regularly.
People who lived there and their relatives told us they felt safe at Inwood House. Staff we spoke with demonstrated a good understanding of how to ensure people were safeguarded against abuse and they knew the procedure to follow to report any incidents
Staff were able to identify risks specific to the people who lived there and could tell us how they minimised risks to keep people safe. Risk assessments were in place and risks had been identified with plans to reduce risk and systems and processes ensured risks to people living there were minimised.
The service practised safe recruitment to ensure staff were recruited with the right experience and behaviours for their role. Staff received regular training to ensure they developed skills and knowledge to perform in their role. Staff had regular supervision and appraisals to support their development and were encouraged to obtain qualifications in care.
The registered manager had complied with their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). They had a good understanding of when a person might be deprived of their liberty.
The property had been extended and the new facilities were of a high standard to meet the needs of people living there. Signage and facilities for people living with dementia had been improved and there were activities for people to do along the corridors and reminiscence areas including a café area for people and their relatives to use.
We found all the staff to be caring in their approach to the people who lived there and treated people with dignity and respect. Staff knew the people they supported very well and were keen for people to feel they were at home at Inwood House.
Care files were person centred and evidenced people were involved in their care planning when appropriate. Families had also been consulted with to ensure preferences and views were considered when devising support plans.
The management team provided strong leadership and aimed to provide a high quality service.
The registered manager and registered provider were on site and proactive in the running of the home. Staff told us how supportive management were and told us they enjoyed their roles as carers.