• Care Home
  • Care home

Chypons Residential Home

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Chypons, Clifton Hill, Penzance, Cornwall, TR18 5BU (01736) 362492

Provided and run by:
Mr Geoffrey Walden Knights

Report from 7 March 2024 assessment

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Well-led

Good

Updated 18 July 2024

The registered manager provided effective leadership to the staff team and engaged positively with people and their relatives. The culture was person centred and relatives told us they would be confident recommending the service to others. Staff told us their manager were approachable and supportive and that action had been taken in response to concern they had reported.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

Shared direction and culture

Score: 3

Staff and managers were dedicated to ensuring people’s needs and expectations were met. Staff were confident their colleagues shared their values and that, “Nothing bad can happen here.” Equality was promoted and staff treated everyone fairly and with respect.

Equality and diversity was actively promoted and managers ensured staff were consistently respectful. Where concerns were identified in relation to individual staff practices, action was taken promptly to ensure impact on people's wellbeing were minimised. Relatives spoke positively of the services culture and that they would recommend Chypons. Their comments included, “I would recommend them, [My relative] is looked after”, “I would recommend it, it’s about the staff’s relationship with the residents, it does not feel like an old people’s home, it has got amazing views, décor is quite unique” and “I would recommend it, it has got a good reputation locally, nice views and people can sit and watch people on the beach and see the sea.”

Capable, compassionate and inclusive leaders

Score: 3

The services registered manager was compassionate and inclusive. Staff told us, “If I had any worries I would go to [deputy managers and the registered managers names]” and “[The registered manager] is approachable, [they] listen. [They] don’t scream and shout at you.”

The provider had appropriate processes in place designed to ensure their vision and values were understood by all members of the staff team. Staff had been supported compassionately by their managers and reasonable adjustments made in response to staff needs.

Freedom to speak up

Score: 3

Staff knew how to raise concerns either to the registered manager or the provider. Where staff had reported issues, they told us they were being investigated.

The service has system in place to ensure any concerns reported by staff were investigated and resolved. Records of recent investigations showed managers had made appropriate changes within the service as a result of leaning identified during investigations into staff concerns.

Workforce equality, diversity and inclusion

Score: 3

Staff felt well supported and fairly treated by the service’s leadership. One staff member described how they had initially struggled to use the service digital recording systems. They explained that the registered manager had given them additional time, support and guidance to help them gain the skills necessary to use the system successfully.

The service employed a diverse workforce and the registered manager recognised and valued the advantages different staff viewpoints provided. The service employed multiple members of two family groups. The inherent risk in this staffing arrangement were understood by the provider and registered manager who ensured members of the same family did not provide care together.

Governance, management and sustainability

Score: 3

Staff were well supported and there were appropriate systems in place to ensure staff were able to access guidance and support whenever required. The registered manager said, “There is always a deputy manager or senior leading day shifts.” Staff said managers were approachable and their comments included, “The manager is brilliant” and “[the registered manager name] is lovely, [they] are great.” Relatives were also complimentary of the service leadership and told us, “The registered manager said, “There is Always a deputy manager or senior leading day shifts”, “The manager is very approachable, I can see [Them] no problem” and “[The registered manager] is a really nice manager.”

In response to the findings of our last inspection a program of regular monthly audits had been introduced. However, records showed these monthly audits had not been consistently completed. This meant the service’s current quality assurance processes were not entirely effective. The provider was regularly in contact with the registered manager and was kept advised of all significant events that occurred. The registered manager felt well supported by the provider and the team of deputy managers. The roles and responsibilities of each manager were defined and well understood by the staff team.

Partnerships and communities

Score: 3

Relatives felt engaged in decision making and were kept well informed by staff. They told us, “They do really well [with my relative], they do keep me informed”, “I am so pleased she went there, I’ve got no worries and no concerns” and “I have got a good rapport with the girls, they keep me pretty well informed, say what they are doing with [my relative].”

Managers were highly complementary of the support they received from the NHS care home support team and told us, “I find them to be very useful, very approachable, they take time to talk and listen, I think they have a very good response time and are good at giving advice.”

Visiting professionals were complimentary of the staff team and their detailed knowledge of each person's needs. They told us, “The staff are very welcoming, give very individualised care and are proactive in engaging with and seeking support.”

Staff had become concerned about one person’s wellbeing during the night prior to our first site visit. This concern had been shared with professionals promptly and appointments and assessments arranged to investigate these concerns. Records showed people were promptly supported to access external health service when required. The service encouraged community engagement and a small number of people regularly visited the local shops. Prior to COVID restrictions local school children had visited occasionally and the registered manager was making arrangements to participate in a developing intergenerational community engagement project.

Learning, improvement and innovation

Score: 3

Staff and managers engaged positively with new approaches and innovation. They were complimentary of recently introduced technology and were respectful of people’s robotic dementia aids.

Managers encouraged staff to share ideas and make suggestions in relation to changes and possible improvements. Where learning was identified from incident investigations it was promptly shared to minimise the risk of similar events reoccurring. Policies and procedure had been reviewed in response to recent learning.