Parkside is a care home providing personal care and support for up to 31 older people, who may also be living with dementia. It is situated in Kempston, which is close to Bedford. On the day of our inspection there were 30 people living at the service, with one bedroom being used for respite services.
The inspection took place 26 November 2015.
The service had 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.
People did not always feel safe at the service. Staffing levels at the service were not always sufficient to meet people’s needs and the service regularly relied on agency staffing. This meant that people often had to wait to have call bells answered and weren’t always comfortable with the staff caring for them.
People were not always treated with dignity and respect by staff. There were not always positive relationships between people and members of staff, and people reported that they were not always treated in a caring way.
Complaints and feedback from people was not always managed appropriately. People were not always comfortable raising issues with the care that they received and didn’t have confidence that they would be addressed if they did. This meant that there was not an open environment at the service.
People did not feel that all staff members demonstrated that they had the skills and knowledge they needed, to provide them with the care they required. Feedback from staff and their records showed that they did receive regular training and support from management and the provider.
There had been concerns raised regarding the food at the service from people and their family members. The service was aware of these concerns and was taking action to address them.
Staff had received training on abuse, and were aware of how to protect people from it. If they suspected abuse, they had an understanding of reporting procedures and were confident to report to the registered manager, or higher if necessary.
Risk assessments had been completed for people to identify areas of risk, and to put controls in place to minimise the impact of those risks. General risks to staff, visitors and the service were also carried out.
People’s medication was administered safely by trained staff. There were systems in place to ensure medication was accurately recorded and monitored.
People were supported to book and attend healthcare appointments where necessary. Healthcare professionals visited the service on a regular basis, including a weekly GP’s surgery held at the service.
Care plans were written with input from people and their family members, to ensure they were an accurate reflection of people’s care needs and wishes. People’s consent to care was sought, and the Mental Capacity Act 2005 was used appropriately where necessary.
Care was personalised to meet people’s specific needs and was regularly reviewed, with their input, to ensure care plans were accurate.
Staff were positive about their roles and were well supported by the registered manager.
The provider and registered manager carried out a number of quality assurance processes, to monitor the care that was being delivered and to highlight areas for improvement.
We identified that the provider was not meeting regulatory requirements and was in breach of a number of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.