This inspection took place on 18 and 21 September 2015 and was an unannounced inspection.
Glen Tanar is situated in a residential area within easy access of the promenade and shopping area of Bispham. The home is registered for 21 older people with 19 single rooms and one double room. Most are not en-suite. Communal bathing facilities and toilets are available throughout the home. The building has two floors with lift access to the first floor. There are gardens to the front and rear. At the time of the inspection visit 20 people were living at the home.
At the last inspection in April 2014. The service was meeting the requirements of the regulations that were inspected at that time.
There was a registered manager in place. 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.
The registered manager had procedures in place to protect people from abuse and unsafe care. Risks to people were minimised because risk assessments were in place. People told us they felt safe living at Glen Tanar and liked living there. One person said, “I feel safe in the home and trust the staff and can talk with them about anything.” Another person told us, “I was falling at home but I feel very safe here.”
We looked at how the home was being staffed. We saw there were enough staff on shifts to provide safe care. People we spoke with were satisfied with staffing levels. One person said, “There are always staff about when you want them.” A relative said, “The staffing levels are excellent. There are always plenty of staff on duty.”
Recruitment and selection was carried out safely with appropriate checks made before new staff could start working in the home.
Staff managed medicines competently. They were given as prescribed and stored and disposed of correctly. People were able to manage their own medicines if they were able to do so safely. People told us they felt staff gave them their medicines correctly and when they needed them.
People’s health needs were met and any changes in health managed in a timely manner. One person said, “When I was ill the staff could not have treated me better. I was soon in hospital where they sorted me out so that I could come back home.” A relative told us, “The staff are knowledgeable about [my family member’s] condition and were on the ball and got the doctor out. They were spot on about this and they always keep me up to date.”
The environment was well maintained, clean and hygienic when we visited. There were no unpleasant odours. The people we spoke with said they were pleased with the standard of hygiene in place. One person told us, “I like my room and it is cleaned every day.”
Staff had been trained and had the skills and knowledge to provide support to the people they cared for. One person said of the staff team, “They all seem to know how to help us and what we like and don’t like.” A member of staff told us, “We have loads of training. It really helps us to do things right.”
Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The registered manager discussed an application she had submitted. This showed us staff were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions.
People were offered a choice of healthy and nutritious meals. Staff made sure people’s dietary and fluid intake was sufficient for good nutrition. People were very complimentary about the food. One person said, “We are so well fed here. The meals are lovely - excellent.” People said the meals were very good and they had no problems getting snacks or drinks outside of meal times. One person commented, “The food is good and we can have snacks at any time during the day and night.”
People we spoke with told us staff were caring and helpful. One person told us, “I only came in for a short time but decided to stay. The staff are fantastic. They do everything they can to make you happy.” Another person said, “Glen Tanar is a smashing place to stay. The staff are so good it is like a big happy family.”
Staff frequently interacted with people. People were not left without support and staff were attentive, responding to any requests for assistance promptly. One person told us, “If you want anything the staff come straight away. If they say they will be back in two minutes they always are. We are never kept waiting.”
Staff knew and understood people’s history, likes, dislikes, needs and wishes. They knew and responded to each person’s diverse cultural, gender and spiritual needs and treated people with respect and patience. Staff offered choices and encouraged people to retain their independence wherever possible. People felt they could trust staff and they were friendly and respected their privacy. One person said, “When they shower me they treat me with dignity and respect and allow me to have privacy. The staff talk to us and we talk to them and they listen to me. I would definitely recommend this home to others.”
Staff recognised the importance of social contact, companionship and activities. There was a broad and varied activities programme. One person said, “It’s not a bad place to live, there are plenty of activities to do if you want. I have no complaints.” A relative told us, “This is an excellent home with good activities and a good activities co-ordinator.”
Staff were very welcoming to people’s friends and relatives. One person told us, “My family are welcomed at any time. The staff always make a fuss of them.” A relative said, “I am always welcomed in. The staff are so friendly. I would stay here myself.”
We asked people if they knew how to raise a concern or to make a complaint if they were unhappy with something. They told us they knew how to and when they had told staff of any concerns they listened to them and took action to improve things. One person said, “There have been little niggles but these have been sorted out.”
There were procedures in place to monitor the quality of the service. The registered manager sought people’s views in a variety of ways and dealt with any issues of quality quickly and appropriately. One person told us, “I feel comfortable in speaking up and have completed a survey for the home.”
There was a transparent and open culture that encouraged people to express any ideas or concerns. People and their relatives felt their needs and wishes were listened to and acted on. They said staff were easy to talk to and encouraged people to raise questions at any time. One person said, “If you have a problem here they have time sit and talk it through with you.”