Camellia House

Updated 4 September 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 checked 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.

The inspection was undertaken by one adult social care inspector on 11 August 2018 and was unannounced.

Prior to the inspection we looked at other information we held about the service such as notifications and previous reports. The provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. At our last inspection of the service in February 2016 we did not identify any concerns with the care provided to people.

During the inspection we met all 14 people who lived at the service. Some people living at the service were living with dementia which meant they had limited ability to communicate and tell us about their experience of being supported by the staff team. Therefore staff used other methods of communication, for example by providing visual prompts. Others were able to tell us about the care and support they received. As some people were not able to comment specifically about their care experiences, we used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a specific way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people living in the service.

We also looked around the premises. We spoke to the registered manager/provider and five members of staff. We looked at records relating to the individual’s care and the running of the home. These included four care and support plans and records relating to medicine administration. We also looked at the quality monitoring of the service.

Updated 4 September 2018

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 11 August 2018.

Camellia House provides care and accommodation for up to 14 people. On the day of our inspection there were 14 people living at the service. The home provides residential care for the elderly and people living with dementia.

People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

There was a registered manager in post. 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. One of the providers is also the registered manager.

At the last inspection on the 22 February 2016, the service was rated 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 ongoing 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.

Why the service is rated good:

We met and spoke with most of the people living in the service during our visit. However, some people were not able to fully verbalise their views, so staff used other methods of communication, for example people’s first language. Others were able to tell us about the care and support they received. Due to people’s needs we spent time observing people with the staff supporting them.

People remained safe at Camellia House. People who were able to told us they felt safe living there. One person said; “I do feel safe here and well looked after.” Staff said people were safe with one saying; “We and the management are always there for people to keep them safe.”

People received their medicines safely by suitably trained staff. People were protected by safe recruitment procedures to help ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable people. People and the staff team confirmed there were sufficient staff to help keep people safe. Staff said they were able to meet people’s needs and support them when needed.

People’s risks were assessed, monitored and managed by staff to help ensure they remained safe. Risk assessments were completed to enable people to retain as much independence as possible.

People continued to receive care from a staff team that had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support them. Staff had completed safeguarding training. Staff without formal care qualifications completed the Care Certificate (a nationally recognised training course for staff new to care). The Care Certificate training looked at and discussed the Equality and Diversity and Human Rights policy of the company.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. People’s end of life wishes were clearly documented. People's healthcare needs were monitored by the staff and people had access to a variety of healthcare professionals.

People’s care and support was based on legislation and best practice guidelines, helping to ensure the best outcomes for people. People’s legal rights were upheld and consent to care was sought. Care plans were person centred and held full details on how people’s needs were to be met, taking into account people’s preferences and wishes. Information held included people’s previous history and any cultural, religious and spiritual needs.

People were observed to be treated with kindness and compassion by the staff who valued them. The staff, some who had worked at the service for a number of years, had built strong relationships with people. All staff demonstrated kindness for people through their conversations and interactions. Staff respected people’s privacy. People or their representatives, were involved in decisions about the care and support people received.

The service remained responsive to people's individual needs and provided personalised care and support. People’s equality and diversity was respected and people were supported in the way they wanted to be. People who required assistance with their communication needs had these individually assessed and met. People were able to make choices about their day to day lives. The provider had a complaints policy in place and records showed all complaints had been fully investigated and responded to.

The service continued to be well led. People lived in a service where the provider’s values and vision were embedded into the service, staff and culture. People, relatives and staff said the providers were approachable.

People lived in a service which had been designed and adapted to meet their needs. The service was in the process of increasing their number from 14 to 24. This was being achieved by the purchase of the house next door and completely refurbished to a very high standard. This project was near completion.

The provider monitored the service to help ensure its ongoing quality and safety. The provider’s governance framework, helped monitor the management and leadership of the service. The provider and registered manager listened to feedback and reflected on how the service could be further improved. The registered manager, who was also the provider, had monitoring systems which enabled them to identify good practices and areas of improvement.