Archived: Alexander House Care Home - Halifax

Alexander House provides residential care for up to 20 older people. Bedrooms are situated over two floors with communal lounges and dining room on the ground floor.

There has been a registered manager at the home for several years. 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. The registered manager was not available on the day of our inspection.

People who used the service told us they felt safe and staff knew how to maintain people's safety.

Recruitment processes were robust and thorough checks were always completed before staff started work to make sure they were safe and suitable to work with vulnerable people.

Medications were managed safely.

Staff received the training they needed to support them in their roles. Staff received good support from the registered manager.

There were enough staff on duty to make sure people’s care needs were met and people enjoyed a range of meaningful activities and social events.

The home was well maintained and comfortable. People’s bedrooms were personalised and the home was clean and tidy.

People's healthcare needs were met with the support of visiting healthcare professionals.

People told us staff were caring and we witnessed staff interacting with people in a kind, respectful and friendly manner.

The service was meeting the legal requirements relating to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

People enjoyed the food at the home and people's nutritional needs were managed well.

Care was planned and delivered with a person centred approach and in line with people's preferences and wishes.

The home was well managed and staff worked as a team.

Visitors told us they were made to feel very welcome and there was a real family atmosphere in the home.

"I've been in other homes, they are not as good as this, we have activities to do and are kept entertained"

"We can have anything we want, we only have to ask"

"The girls are brilliant, they are always there when I need them"

"We don't have any worries, they are brilliant. Nothing is too much trouble"

Visitors told us:

" They tell me everything, it's like coming home. They don't just care about the residents, they care about the families too"

One person whose parent had gone to live at the home following the very recent loss of their spouse asked to speak with us. They told us how staff had supported not just their parent but the whole family in the process of moving into a care home and in the grieving process.

We found care planning and care delivery was of a high standard. Staff knew the people who lived at the home well and supported them in the way they preferred. We saw that people had choice of appetising nutritious food and drinks and snacks were available as required.

Safe systems for the management of medication were in place and we saw that processes for auditing the quality of care and the safety of the environment were maintained.

Staff told us that they enjoyed working at the home and felt there were enough of them to give people the care and support they needed.