Risedale at Aldingham St Cuthberts Nursing Home provides support to people who have dementia and who require personal and nursing care.We considered our inspection findings to answer questions we always ask;
' Is the service safe?
' Is the service effective?
' Is the service caring?
' Is the service responsive?
' Is the service well-led?
This is a summary of what we found -
Is the service safe?
People who lived at Risedale at Aldingham St Cuthberts Nursing Home were safe and protected from the risk of unsafe or inappropriate care. The staff in the home had up to date information about the support people needed and had the skills and knowledge to deliver their care. Risks to people's safety and wellbeing had been identified and assessed and appropriate controls had been put in place to protect them.
People received the medicines they needed from staff who were trained and qualified. Systems were used to ensure people received their medication safely and as their doctor had prescribed.
Robust systems were used when recruiting new staff to ensure they were suitable to be employed in the home.
People were provided with a safe, clean and pleasant environment to live in. The accommodation was of a high standard and suitable to meet the needs of people who had dementia. The premises were well maintained and appropriate systems were in place to ensure the safety and security of people who lived there.
The home had appropriate policies and procedures regarding The Mental Capacity Act 2005 deprivation of liberty safeguards. The manager of the home was knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Mental Capacity Act Codes of Practice. This meant people could be confident that their rights would be protected.
The staff we spoke with showed that had a good understanding of their responsibility to protect people who lived in the home.
Is the service effective?
People told us that they were 'well looked after' at Risedale at Aldingham St Cuthberts Nursing Home. We saw that the staff in the home spoke to people in a friendly and respectful manner and encouraged them to do as much for themselves as they were able. This helped people to maintain their independence.
Where people had been identified as at higher risk due to complex needs, appropriate specialist services had been contacted for advice and support. We saw that the staff followed the specialist advice that was written in people's care plans. This ensured people received safe care which met their needs.
Risedale at Aldingham St Cuthberts Nursing Home was purpose built as a care home for people who have dementia. The environment was based on best practice in dementia care and the design of the home helped people to maintain their independence.
All the staff we spoke with told us that they had been provided with a range of training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to support people.
Is the service caring?
Everyone we spoke with made positive comments about the staff employed at this home. They told us, 'The girls,[staff], are nice' and said, 'I like the staff'.
We saw that the staff were kind and considerate in how they treated people. People were given choices about their lives and the support they received. The staff knew people in the home well and gave people the time they needed to communicate their wishes. We observed relaxed, friendly and respectful interactions between the staff and people in the home. We saw that people were comfortable and confident with the staff who supported them.
The staff showed that they knew it was very important that people were treated as individuals and with respect. They told us that they would not tolerate any form of abuse or mistreatment of people. They said they would speak to a senior person in the home if they ever observed anything that concerned them.
Is the service responsive?
We saw that people were treated with respect and given choices about their daily lives. People's individual records included information about their life before they moved to the home. This meant the staff knew about the things that were important to the person not just about the care they needed.
We saw that thorough needs assessments had been completed before people were offered accommodation in the home. This ensured that people were not offered accommodation unless the facilities and support provided were suitable to meet their needs.
Where people had been identified as at higher risk due to complex needs, appropriate specialist services had been contacted for advice and support. During our inspection we saw that the staff followed the specialist advice that was in people's care plans. This ensured people received safe care which met their needs.
Is the service well-led?
Formal systems were in place to audit the quality of the service provided. The families of people who lived in the home had been asked for their views about the service. Where people had made suggestions about how the service could be further improved we saw that appropriate action had been taken.
All the staff we spoke with told us that they were provided with a range of training to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to support people. They said they felt well supported by the manager of the home and senior managers in the organisation.
As part of the management oversight of the service a senior manager from Risedale Estates Limited carried out unannounced visits to the home to assess the quality of the services and facilities provided. The quality audit systems employed by the organisation ensured senior managers had a good oversight of the quality of the service.