Our current view of the service
Updated
14 August 2024
Date of assessment: 28 August to 13 September 2024.
The assessment was carried out following incidents and concerns that had been raised about the service, over the previous 12 months.
We assessed 14 quality statements from the key questions of Safe, Effective, and Well Led. The scores for these areas have been combined with scores based on the key question ratings from the last inspection when the service was rated good. Our assessment of the quality statements covered in this assessment indicated areas of good practice, and some where improvement was required. Our overall rating for the service remains good.
Down House provides care and support to older people in a care home setting where people require continuous support and monitoring. Most people are assessed as requiring nursing care and some people have significant dementia care needs.
This converted building has been extended and refurbished over time, with some parts being newer and in better condition than others. The service is registered to provide a service for up to 49 people.
We visited the service in the Derriford area of north Plymouth, on 28 August and 9 September 2024. At the time of our assessment 34 people were receiving a service, and most were receiving assessed nursing care.
People's experience of the service
Updated
14 August 2024
People and relatives said they felt people were safe with staff. We observed staff knew people well. People’s individual risks were identified, and the necessary risk assessment reviews were carried out to keep people safe. We found the service was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and if needed, appropriate legal authorisations were requested to appropriately restrict a person’s freedom to leave the service, to keep the person safe.
The provider had ensured there were enough staff deployed to meet the needs of people at the service at the time we carried out this assessment. However, some relatives, staff and professionals had said there were not enough staff. The service had recruited additional staff to provide sufficient support to meet peoples’ needs throughout the day. Staff were well trained and competent in their jobs. There were safe and effective recruitment and selection processes.
People said staff were kind, compassionate and caring. Staff treated people with dignity and respect when helping them with daily living tasks.
People were not always involved in the assessment and planning of their care and people said they would like to know more about their care and treatment plans. Some care plans were not always up to date .
Some people told us they felt they did not have enough contact with staff and people generally as they spent all their time in their rooms. There was little use of communal areas taking place for groups of people when we visited, and people had little stimulating social activity to prevent feelings of isolation.