20 and 26 March 2015
During a routine inspection
Eldermere provides care and support for six people who have a mild to moderate learning disability. People require 24 hour staff support in the home and support to go out. Eldermere is set in its own grounds, close to the town centre.
This inspection took place on 20 and 26 March 2015 and was unannounced. It was carried out by one inspector.
People had communication difficulties associated with their learning difficulty. Because of this we were only able to have very limited conversations with two people about their experiences. We therefore used our observations of care and our discussions with people’s relatives and staff to help form our judgements.
We carried out our last inspection of Eldermere in August 2014. Following this inspection we asked the provider to make improvements to the home’s quality assurance system as it had failed to identify potential risks to people's health and welfare. The provider sent us an action plan to tell us the improvements they were going to make, which they would complete by 22 September 2014. During this inspection we looked to see if these improvements had been made and found they had.
The home was a safe place for people. They were able to take appropriate risks as part of their day to day lives. Staff understood people’s needs and provided the care and support they needed.
The service supported people to have as much control over their own lives as they could. People used many community facilities and were encouraged to be as independent as they could be. People appeared happy with the care they received. One relative said “Staff are very helpful, pleasant and very kind. We are very happy with the care.”
Staffing levels were good and people also received good support from health and social care professionals. Staff were skilled at communicating with people, especially if people were unable to communicate verbally.
People, and those close to them, were involved in planning and reviewing their care and support. There was a close relationship and good communication with people’s relatives.
There had been many improvements to the service. The environment had been significantly improved and adapted to meet people’s needs. Relatives and staff all specifically commented on how the home had been “opened up.” One staff member said “I think the care is excellent here. I’ve worked here a long time and this is the best it’s ever been.”
Staff had good knowledge of people including their needs and preferences. Communication and morale throughout the staff team was good. Staff were well supported and well trained. All staff spoken with said the training and ongoing support they received was very good.
There was a management structure in the home which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. The management team were passionate about trying to provide the best level of care possible to people. Relatives and staff spoke very highly of the registered manager and the positive effect they had on the service. Staff had adopted the manager’s ethos and this showed in the way they supported people.
There were effective quality assurance processes in place to monitor care and plan ongoing improvements. There were systems in place to share information and seek people’s views about the running of the home. One person’s relative said “We always chat with the staff so we know what’s been going on.”