Archived: Honresfeld - Care Home with Nursing Physical Disabilities

Is the service safe?

We saw that people were treated with dignity and respect. Two people told us the home was a safe place to live. One person said they would tell the manager or a member of staff if they were unhappy about anything. One visitor told us people were safe at the home and said, 'There's always staff at hand.'

Safeguarding procedures are robust and members of staff understood their role in safeguarding the people they supported. Relevant staff had received training about the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards to understand when an application should be made, and how to submit one.

We saw that equipment used at the home was serviced regularly to ensure that it was safe and fit for purpose.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs were assessed with them or their relatives and they were involved in writing their care plans. Specialist dietary, mobility and equipment needs had been identified in care plans where required. Care plans were reviewed regularly and amended to reflect people's changing needs.

We found that people's care records included an assessment of their nutritional status so that appropriate action was taken if any problems were identified. All the people we asked told us that the meals were good.

Discussion with care workers and examination of records confirmed that a rolling programme of training was in place so that all members of staff were kept up to date with current practice.

Is the service caring?

We saw that members of staff were attentive to people's needs and offered appropriate encouragement and assistance when necessary.

People who used the service told us they liked living at the home and received the care and support they needed. One person said, 'The staff are lovely, they're the best carers I've ever been with.' Another person said, 'I'm really happy here the care is brilliant.' A volunteer helper said, 'There's a happy atmosphere and no smells.'

People's personal preferences, interests and diverse needs had been recorded in their individual care plans.

People who used the service and their representatives were given the opportunity to complete satisfaction questionnaires annually in June. The manager evaluated these surveys in order to identify any areas for improvement.

Is the service responsive?

Leisure activities were organised both inside and outside the home. These included quizzes, reminiscence, arts and crafts, bingo, pamper sessions, films and exercises. People were supported by members of staff to go out for meals and visit other local attractions. One person said, 'There's plenty to do.'

Regular meetings were held for people who used the service. At these meetings people were encouraged to express their views about the care and facilities at the home including leisure activities and meals.

Is the service well-led?

The service worked well with other agencies and services to make sure people received their care in a joined up way.

Members of staff had a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities and the ethos of the home. This helped to ensure that people received a good quality of service.

The quality assurance system required further development in order to ensure that all aspects of the care provided at the home were properly monitored. This included infection control and care planning.

We have asked the provider to tell us what they are going to do to meet the requirements of the law in relation to assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision.

We spoke with a visitor and two people who were using the services. Everyone told us they liked the environment and felt it was clean and well maintained. One visitor said 'It has recently been painted making it brighter and more welcoming. I love the individuality; it's not like an institution'.

The people we spoke with confirmed they had interaction with healthcare professionals. One person told us 'The staff always take me to hospital'.

One person said 'the staff are caring, professional and nice. I am happy with the care'.

Both people were positive about the environment and living with the other people. Neither person had any issues related to the medication process and confirmed they got their medications as required. There were positive comments about the staff and the service that was being provided.

One person said 'The staff are nice, helpful and supportive.'

Neither person had any complaints. One person told us 'If I ever need to raise anything, I speak with the staff who deal with it immediately.'

In this report the name of a Registered Manager appears who was not present and not managing the regulatory activities at this location at the time of the inspection. Their name appears because they were still a Registered Manager on our register at the time.