20 October 2015
During a routine inspection
This was an unannounced inspection, carried out on 20 October 2015.
Whetstone hey residential care home is a three storey building which provides accommodation and personal care for up to 42 people. Access to the upper floors is via a passenger lift or stairs. The home provides care staff 24 hours a day. At the time of our inspection there were 35 people living at the service.
The service has a registered manager. 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.
We last inspected this location in August 2013 and we found that the registered provider met all the regulations we reviewed.
The registered manager and staff informed us that the planned programme of activities was currently under review. We observed activities taking place during our visit including beauty sessions and a cinema afternoon.
Quality assurance systems were in place at the service and records we saw identified areas for improvement and actions that had been taken by the registered provider.
People supported and their relatives told us they felt safe at the service. Staff had a good understanding and were aware of the different types of abuse. Staff knew the process for reporting any concerns they had and for ensuring people were protected from abuse. Staff told us they would not hesitate to raise concerns and they felt confident that they would be fully investigated in partnership with the relevant external agencies.
There were safe systems in place for the management of medicines. Medicines were administered safely and administration records were up to date. People received their medication as prescribed and staff had completed competency training in the administration and management of medication.
Robust recruitment processes were followed and there were sufficient qualified, skilled and experienced staff on duty to meet people’s needs. Staff attended regular training sessions in areas such as moving and handling, first aid and safeguarding adults to update their knowledge and skills. Staff had regular team meetings and supervisions to discuss areas of improvement in their work. Staff received support through supervision and team meetings which enabled them to discuss any matters, such as their work, training needs or areas of development.
Staff were caring and they always treated people with kindness and respect. People were happy with the care that they had received. They told us that “staff bend over backwards to help you” and “I cannot praise this place enough”. Observations showed that staff were respectful of people’s privacy and dignity and encouraged people to maintain their independence.
People’s needs were assessed and planned for and staff had information about how to meet people’s needs. Care plans we reviewed were personalised and completed in full and always promoted the involvement of the person or other important people such as family members. Staff were responsive in meeting changes to people’s health needs. The registered provider promoted positive partnerships working with external health and social care professionals to make sure people received the care and support they needed.
Policies and procedures were in place to guide staff in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). The registered manager had a good knowledge and understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and their role and responsibility linked to this. Staff were able to show an understanding of the key principles when asked.