The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 17 March 2016. The previous inspection was carried out in June 2014, and the service was found to be meeting all the regulations that were assessed.Heathercliffe Residential Care Home provides care and support for up to 22 people living with dementia, and is located in Helsby, three miles from the town of Frodsham. At the time of the inspection, there were 21 people living within the service.
The manager had been registered with the CQC since October 2010. 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 legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
Checks were carried out to ensure that the environment was safe. At the time of the inspection, a legionella check had not be completed to ensure that the water supply was safe from contamination, however following the inspection the registered provider provided documentation to confirm that this had since been carried out. Equipment such as hoists and the lift were serviced on a routine basis to ensure they were safe for use.
There were sufficient numbers of staff in place to maintain people’s safety, and recruitment processes ensured that staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. Staff were subject to a check by the disclosure and barring service [DBS]. The DBS enabled the registered provider to make decisions about whether potential staff were suitable for the role.
People were protected from the risk of abuse. Staff had received training in safeguarding and knew how to report any concerns that they may have. There was an up-to-date safeguarding policy in place, along with a copy of the local authority safeguarding procedure, both of which were accessible to staff.
Some staff had received training in administering medication, and people received their medication as prescribed. People’s medication was stored within a locked trolley which was secured to the wall when not in use. Controlled medications and those that needed to be kept in the fridge were securely stored in a locked office.
Staff had received mandatory training in areas such as the Mental Capacity Act 2005, manual handling and infection control. New staff were supported through an induction process which included a period of shadowing more experienced staff and the completion of mandatory training.
Staff received supervision and appraisals, and team meetings were held periodically. This allowed staff to discuss areas of development, and to voice any concerns with management. It also enabled managers to give updates and share information with staff.
People’s privacy and dignity was maintained. People told us that staff were respectful whilst attending to their needs, and staff were able to give appropriate examples around how they worked to maintain people’s dignity. For example staff told us that they would ensure doors were closed during personal care interventions. Staff spoke kindly to people, and there was a lot of laughter and banter throughout the service.
People’s personal information was stored securely on an electronic system, which was password protected. There was an up-to-date policy in place for staff on keeping passwords secure, and computers were kept in offices which were locked when not in use.
People told us that they knew how to make a complaint and that they felt the registered manager was approachable. The registered provider had not received any complaints, however there was an up-to-date copy of the complaints policy which was available for people and their relatives. The registered provider had received a number of 'thankyou' cards which were on display at the entrance to the building.
People, their relatives and staff all knew who the registered manager was and spoke positively about her. People and their relatives commented that she was approachable and staff told us that they felt supported by her. There was a positive culture throughout the service. People told us that the quality of the care provided was high, and that their overall experience was positive.
The registered manager and the registered provider carried out audits to monitor the quality of the service provided. These looked at various aspects of the service which included care records, medication and falls. Issues identified by audits were followed up, and action taken to address them.