Archived: Rievaulx House Care Centre

Updated 21 May 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC's response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 15th April 2021 and was announced.

Updated 21 May 2021

Rievaulx House Care Centre is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Rievaulx House Care Centre is registered to provide accommodation for people who require personal care and people living with dementia. During our inspection, there were 49 people living in the home. At our last inspection we rated the service 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.

At this inspection we found the service Good.

The provider had robust systems and procedures in place to keep people safe. There was a whistleblowing policy in place and staff knew how to raise concerns should this be required. Risk assessments had been completed and reviewed regularly. Accidents and incidents were managed effectively and action taken to prevent future risks.

Medicines were managed effectively and they were stored correctly in line with the provider's policy. People told us they received their medicines as prescribed and said regular reviews meant their needs were met and health had improved.

Staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's needs and robust recruitment processes were in place to ensure people were of suitable character. Staff carried out training to ensure they had adequate skills and knowledge to meet people's needs. Staff were supported with regular supervisions and appraisals.

Health and safety checks were completed regularly and staff followed the provider’s procedures for infection control. However, we did observe staff not wearing aprons at lunch. Fire evacuations were carried out to ensure people could be supported in an event of a fire.

Staff were aware of people's nutritional needs and we found people were offered choices about their food preferences. Some people told us the quality of food could be improved. People also received appropriate support from staff to maintain their health and wellbeing.

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

People told us staff were kind and caring. We saw people were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and people told us staff resected their need for privacy. The provider had an equality and diversity policy in place, which staff followed. Care plans included people’s preferences, likes and dislikes so their individual needs could be met.

Initial assessments were carried out before people moved into the home to ensure their needs could be met. Care plans were person-centred and reviewed regularly or when people's needs changed. People accessing the service were supported to participate in activities, to prevent social isolation. The provider had recently employed a mini bus driver, which meant people could do activities outside of the local area and facilitated further choice.

Staff told us the registered manager was supportive and approachable. Some people living in the home did not know the registered manager but all people said they would feel confident to raise any issues. Complaints were managed and the provider had responded to people in a timely manner to address any concerns raised. The provider also received compliments from people and their relatives.

Surveys were carried out to gather people and their relatives view. This meant actions could be taken to address issues to drive improvement. Meetings were carried out with people living in the home, staff and management to ensure communication was open and people kept informed of any provider changes. The provider had a home improvement plan in place to address improvements that were required. The registered manager had also taken action to drive improvement within the home; one action included recruitment of new staff to ensure consistency of care being provided.

We found some records had not been completed and did not follow the providers documentation systems. We made a recommendation that all documentation used within the home must be recorded accurately.