Stonesby House

Updated 9 January 2024

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was completed by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

Stonesby House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Stonesby House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. A manager had been employed by the provider with the intention of becoming the registered manager, but at the time of the inspection they were not yet inducted at the service.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We visited the service on 3 separate days to complete the inspection. We checked the environment on each site visit. We spoke with 5 people living at the service and 4 relatives, to gain feedback on their experiences of using the service. We spoke with 7 staff including the deputy manager and a director. We reviewed a selection of records for 5 people including care plans, risk assessments, capacity assessments, medicine records, daily notes and other daily monitoring charts and care records. We looked at 5 staff files in relation to recruitment and reviewed the providers training and supervision monitoring documents. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were examined including, quality checks, incident reporting and health and safety records.

Updated 9 January 2024

About the service

Stonesby House is a residential care home that provides personal care for older people, and people with learning disabilities and/or mental health support needs. At the time of our inspection there were 9 people using the service. Not everyone who used the service received personal care. CQC only inspects where people receive personal care. This is help with tasks related to personal hygiene and eating. Where they do we also consider any wider social care provided. At the time of our inspection there were 5 people receiving personal care.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee people with a learning disability and autistic people respect, equality, dignity, choices and independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. ‘Right support, right care, right culture’ is the guidance CQC follows to make assessments and judgements about services supporting people with a learning disability and autistic people and providers must have regard to it.

Right Support: Equipment was not always used for its intended purpose and was not always safe. The provider failed to ensure the environment was kept clean and properly maintained. The service was worn and in need of renovation.

People were supported by enough staff and safe recruitment checks were in place. People received their prescribed medicines safely. New staff completed an induction program which included completion of The Care Certificate. People were supported by trained and competent staff.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Right Care: Assessments were completed and people told us they felt included in decisions about their care. People were supported to eat and drink enough. The service worked in partnership with health and social care professionals.

Right Culture: Quality assurance systems and service oversight was not always effective. The provider was not proactive and ensuring people had a suitable living environment.

The atmosphere in the service was relaxed and friendly. Staff received regular supervision. Staff and people living at the service had opportunity to raise concerns or make suggestions. The deputy manager and provider were open to feedback during the inspection and took immediate action when concerns were raised.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 19 July 2019)

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to staff conduct, medicines practices and management. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement, based on the findings of this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe, effective and well-led sections of this full report. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Stonesby House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to premises and equipment, and good governance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.