Archived: Sedlescombe Park

Updated 22 March 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 14 and 15 January 2018 and was unannounced. One inspector and an expert-by-experience undertook the inspection. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection visit, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used information the provider sent us in the PIR in our inspection planning.

We also reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from the local authority commissioners and the statutory notifications the registered manager had sent us. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law. Commissioners are people who work to find appropriate care and support services which are paid for by the local authority.

During the inspection visit we spoke with five people who lived at the home, three relatives, two other visitors and a visiting healthcare professional. We spoke with two care staff, the deputy manager, the cook, the registered manager and the provider's training manager.

Many of the people who lived at the home were not able to tell us in detail about how they were cared for and supported because of their complex needs. However, we used the short observational framework tool (SOFI) to help us assess whether people’s needs were appropriately met and to identify if people experienced good standards of care. SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experiences of people who could not talk with us.

We observed care and support being delivered in communal areas and we observed how people were supported to eat and drink at lunch time. We reviewed two people's care plans and daily records, staff recruitment records and management records of the checks the registered manager and provider made to assure themselves people received a safe, effective quality service.

Updated 22 March 2018

Sedlescombe Park is a residential care home for up to 24 people, who may live with dementia. The accommodation is arranged over three floors, with a lift to the first floor, to support people to move around the home safely. At the time of this inspection, seventeen people were living at the home.

At our last inspection we rated the service as ‘good’. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The provider had taken action to improve the environmental concerns we had raised during our previous inspection. New kitchen equipment had been installed and the environment had been improved and managed to support more effective infection prevention and control practice. A member of staff had been appointed to act as a health and safety representative. Additional members of the maintenance team had been appointed to ensure there were sufficient time and skills to address maintenance issues as needed and to carry out planned refurbishment work.

People were protected from the risks of abuse because staff were trained in recognising and reporting any safeguarding concerns. The registered manager checked staff were suitable for their role before they started working at the home and made sure there were enough suitably skilled, qualified and experienced staff to support people safely.

Risks to people’s individual health and wellbeing were assessed and their care was planned to minimise the risks. The provider and registered manager regularly checked the premises, essential supplies and equipment were well maintained and safe for people to use. Medicines were stored, administered and managed safely.

People’s needs were assessed using recognised risk assessment tools and staff were trained in subjects that matched people’s needs. People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet that met their needs and preferences.

People were supported to maintain their health and were referred to healthcare professionals when their health needs changed. People continued to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible

People, relatives and staff felt well cared for. Staff understood people’s diverse needs and interests and supported them to maintain their independence. Staff respected people’s right to privacy and supported people to maintain their dignity.

People were supported and encouraged to socialise in the home and in the local community, and to enjoy their lives according to their preferences. People and relatives had no complaints about the service.

People and relatives knew the registered manager well and were invited to share their views of the service through conversations and regular meetings and questionnaires. The registered manager and provider regularly checked the quality of the service to make sure people’s needs were met safely and effectively.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.