Background to this inspection
Updated
29 February 2024
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.
Inspection team
The inspection was undertaken by 2 inspectors.
Service and service type
Stocks Hall Nursing Home - Skelmersdale is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Stocks Hall Nursing Home - Skelmersdale is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Registered Manager
This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.
At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with 14 members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, care staff, nursing staff, domestic and kitchen staff. We spoke with 5 relatives and observed the care of people living at the home.
We looked at a range of records including 3 people’s care plans, risk assessments and medicine records. We looked at 4 staff recruitment records, staff rotas, health and safety documents, audits and policies and procedures.
Updated
29 February 2024
About the service
Stocks Hall Nursing Home – Skelmersdale is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 60 people. The service provides support to older people, people that may be living with dementia and people who may have a physical disability. At the time of our inspection there were 48 people using the service.
The home is set over 2 floors, and both floors have good sized communal areas for people to use. Visitors have access to a car park and people and visitors can use the garden area.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Improvements were required to manage risk to some aspects of people’s health and wellbeing more effectively and to make sure medicines were managed safely. People were protected from the risk of harm and the risk of mistakes being repeated. People were supported by enough staff that had been recruited safely, and the home was clean and comfortable.
People enjoyed the food at the home, 1 relative said, “The meals are lovely.” The chef knew people’s likes and dislikes and there was a good amount of choice available. There were some gaps in the documentation of nutritional needs.
People were supported by staff that completed regular training and staff knew people well. One relative said, “It is very good care.” Staff supported people to live healthy lives and access wider healthcare agencies.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Improvements were required to the governance of the service to make sure elements of risk were identified and changes made where required. People were supported by staff that enjoyed their jobs. One member of staff said, “We get on together, we work well as a team.” Staff and relatives could provide feedback about the home and the registered manager worked well with external agencies.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 27 September 2018).
Why we inspected
We received concerns in relation to the management of medicines, and the management of some health needs. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.
We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘All inspection reports and timeline’ link for Stocks Hall Nursing Home - Skelmersdale on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Enforcement
We have identified breaches in relation to assessing risk, medicines and governance of the service at this inspection.
Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
Follow up
We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.