18 March 2016
During an inspection looking at part of the service
The service is situated in Halewood, Merseyside. The property is a large purpose built residence that has five separate units for people with varying needs. Arncliffe Court is on a residential housing estate close to all local amenities and has good public transport links. There are local shops nearby and a main shopping area can be reached by bus or car.
A registered manager was in post. 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.
A comprehensive inspection took place in January 2015 which resulted in an overall rating of good for the service.
In March 2016 we received concerns in relation to the service people received at Speke House, one area of the service. These concerns included people’s care planning, the foods available to people and the length of time people waited for attention. We undertook a focused inspection to look into the concerns raised and to find out people’s opinions and experiences of the service. This report only covers our findings in relation to the concerns raised. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Arncliffe Court on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
During this inspection we found that improvements were needed to enhance people’s dining experience. We found that the dining room was noisy and that food was not always served at an appropriate temperature.
People had access to health care professionals when needed. Records demonstrated that people had received visits as required from a GP, dietician and speech and language therapists. Family members felt that any concerns about their relatives health had been responded to appropriately.
Staff demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s likes, dislikes and routines. This helped ensure that people received the care and support in a manner that they wished.
People had a choice of food and drinks available to them throughout the day. When required people’s food and drink intake was monitored to ensure that they ate and drank sufficient amounts to keep healthy.
People who were being cared for in bed and those who chose to spend time in their bedrooms had access to a call bell to alert staff if they needed assistance. A record was maintained of each time the call bells were activated and the length of time that it had taken for the call bell to be answered. This information was monitored on a regular basis.
People had the opportunity to attend and participate in regular activities which were made available at the service.
Each person had their own plan of care that detailed the level of care and support they needed throughout the day and night.
A complaints procedure was in place and people and their families were aware of who to contact if they wished to raise a concern or make a complaint about the service.