Durham House Residential Care Home

Updated 20 January 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 care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. The local authority had received concerns about the cleanliness of the service, which had been shared with CQC; this inspection was also to follow up on these concerns.

This inspection took place on 18 November 2020 and was unannounced. We asked the provider for further information following the inspection; we received this on 26 November 2020.

Updated 20 January 2021

About the service

Durham House Residential Care Home was providing personal care to 28 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 31 people.

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

People told us they were kept safe by staff who knew them well. Staff understood how to safeguard people and manage risks. The provider had carried out pre-employment checks on staff and ensured they were suitable to work in the service. One person told us, “I felt safe in this home in the time I’ve been here, and I can’t imagine other homes being any better. I’m quite content in here. The building is kept very clean and tidy and this can help with safety issues too”.

Although no one had come to any harm in relation to their medicines, staff were not following best practice guidance. We made a recommendation about this.

Regular checks were carried out on the building to make sure people lived in a safe environment. Following observations and discussions with the management team we contacted the local fire service to give advice to the provider about fire safety.

Professionals told us they had good working relationships with the manager and the staff. Staff referred people to healthcare professionals in a timely manner.

The provider had carried out a programme of refurbishment including redecoration and replacing the hot water system, and they planned to redecorate the upstairs corridors. People were living with dementia and adaptations to meet their dementia needs were limited. We made a recommendation about this.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People and their relatives told us they had no reasons to raise a complaint. People received person-centred care which met their needs. Activities were provided in the home.

Staff treated people with kindness and respect. They promoted their dignity and independence. Interactions we saw between people and the staff team were very positive and relatives said they were made to feel welcome in the home.

Relatives were complimentary about the manager. They felt the manager was approachable.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (Report published 24 June 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.