The inspection visit took place on 16 May 2017 which was unannounced and we returned announced on 17 May 2017. Salford House is a residential home which provides care over two floors to older people including people who are living with dementia.
Salford House is registered to provide care for 25 people. At the time of our inspection visit there were 21 people living at the home which increased to 22 because of a new admission.
At the last inspection, the service was rated good overall, however effective was rated as requires improvement. We found improvements were made to the effectiveness of the service and at this inspection we found the service remained Good overall.
There was a registered manager at the home. 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.
People and relatives were complimentary and satisfied with the quality of care provided. People were supported to remain as independent as possible so they could live their lives as they wanted. People made choices about what they wanted to do for themselves and how they wanted to spend their time. People were supported to maintain important relationships with family and friendly relationships had been built between some people in the home.
People were encouraged to make their own decisions about the care they received and care was given in line with their expressed wishes.
Care plans contained detailed and supportive information for staff to help them provide the individual care people required. People and relatives were involved in making care decisions and reviewing the care provided to ensure it continued to meet their needs.
For people assessed as being at risk, care records included information for staff so risks to people were minimised. Staff understood people’s individual needs and abilities which meant they provided care in a way that helped keep people safe. Staff received essential and regular training to meet people’s needs, and effectively used their skills, knowledge and experience to support people.
People’s care and support was provided by a caring and consistent staff team and there were enough trained and experienced staff to be responsive to meet their needs. People told us they enjoyed and felt safe living at Salford House. Relatives were complimentary of the support given to their family members and relatives were kept informed about important changes.
Staff knew how to keep people safe from the risk of abuse. Staff and the registered manager understood what actions they needed to take if they had any concerns for people's wellbeing or safety.
The registered manager and care staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Where people lacked capacity, staff’s knowledge ensured people received consistent support when they were involved in making some decisions. Staff always gained people’s consent before they provided care and support.
People were supported and encouraged to pursue hobbies and leisure activities and people said they enjoyed the variety.
People received meals and drinks that met their individual dietary requirements. Anyone identified at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, were monitored and if concerns were identified, advice was sought and followed.
People’s feedback was sought by completing surveys and the visibility and access of staff and management made people feel they could voice any concerns or complaints. The registered manager had an ‘open door’ for people, relatives, staff and visitors to the home which reduced complaints escalating.
The registered manager’s systems were effective to monitor and drive improvements because regular audits and checks led to improvements. The registered manager had submitted a Provider Information return (PIR) and they understood their legal responsibility to notify of us of important and serious incidents. During our inspection visit however, we found some statutory notifications had not been sent to us. The registered manager assured us all statutory notifications would be sent to us in a timely manner so we could continue to monitor this service effectively.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.