This inspection took place on 22 September 2015 and was unannounced. The last Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspection of the home was carried out on 27 August 2014, where we found the service was meeting all the regulations we looked at.
Ryelands is a care home that can accommodate and provide personal care and support for up to 50 older people. The service consists of two separate units known as Ryelands and Brooklands. Ryelands is located in the main building where up to 32 people can live at any one time and Brooklands is the much smaller 18 bedded unit which specialises in supporting people living with dementia care or receiving end of life care. There were 49 people living in the home at the time of our inspection, approximately three-quarters of whom were living with dementia.
The service had a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have a legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People told us they were happy with the standard of care provided at Ryelands. We saw staff looked after people in a way which was kind and caring. Our discussions with people using the service and their relatives supported this. People’s rights to privacy and dignity were also respected. When people were nearing the end of their life they received compassionate and supportive care.
People were safe living at the home. Staff knew what action to take to ensure people were protected if they suspected they were at risk of abuse or harm. Risks to people’s health, safety and wellbeing had been assessed and staff knew how to minimise and manage these risks in order to keep people safe. The service also managed accidents and incidents appropriately and suitable arrangements were in place to deal with emergencies.
We saw people could move freely around the home. The provider ensured regular maintenance and service checks were carried out at the home to ensure the building was safe.
Staff were suitably trained, well supported and knowledgeable about the individual needs and preferences of people they cared for. Their knowledge and skills were updated through attendance at regular training.
People were supported to maintain social relationships with people who were important to them, such as their relatives. There were no restrictions on visiting times and we saw staff made people’s guests feel welcome.
Staff encouraged people to participate in meaningful social, leisure and recreational activities that interested them. We saw staff actively encouraged and supported people to be as independent as they could and wanted to be.
People were supported to keep healthy and well. Staff ensured people were able to access community based health and social care services quickly when they needed them. Staff also worked closely with other health and social care professionals to ensure people received the care and support they needed. There was a choice of meals, snacks and drinks and staff supported people to stay hydrated and to eat well. People received their medicines as prescribed and staff knew how to manage medicines safely.
There were enough suitably competent staff to care for and support people. The management team continuously reviewed and planned staffing levels to ensure there were enough staff to meet the needs of people using the service.
Staff supported people to make choices about day to day decisions. The management team and other staff were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and best interests meetings were held in line with the Act to make decisions on behalf of people who did not have the capacity to make decisions themselves. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) were in place to protect people’s safety, and the staff were aware of what this meant and how to support people appropriately. DoLS provides a process to make sure that people are only deprived of their liberty in a safe and correct way, when it is in their best inters and there is no other way to look after them
The service had a clear management structure in place. We saw the registered manager led by example and was able to demonstrate a good understanding of their role and responsibilities.
The views and ideas of people using the service, their relatives, professional representatives and staff were routinely sought by the provider and used to improve the service they provided. People and their relatives felt comfortable raising any issues they might have about the home with staff. The service had arrangements in place to deal with people’s concerns and complaints appropriately.
There were effective systems in place to monitor the safety and quality of the service provided at the home. The registered manager took action if any shortfalls or issues with this were identified through routine checks and audits. Where improvements were needed, action was taken.