Background to this inspection
Updated
16 February 2019
The inspection
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: This inspection was completed by one adult social care inspector.
Service and service type
Dorin Court Short Break Service is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was announced. The inspection activity started on the 3 January 2019 when we asked the registered manager to send us information about staff training and supervision and announced that we would visit the service on the 10 January 2018. The inspection activity finished on the 15 January 2015 we spoke to relatives of people who used the service.
What we did:
Our plan took into account all the information the provider sent us since the last inspection. We also considered information about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we looked at issues raised in complaints and how the service responded to them. We obtained information from the local authority commissioners and safeguarding team. We assessed the information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to populate our ‘planning tool’ and plan our inspection.
During the inspection, we spoke with three people using the service and the family members of four people that used the service to ask about their experience of care. We also spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, a quality officer and two support workers.
We looked at four people’s care records and a selection of medication and medication administration (MARs). We looked at other records including quality monitoring records, recruitment records for four members of staff and training records for all staff. We also looked at records of checks carried out on the premises and equipment. Details are in the Key Questions below.
Updated
16 February 2019
About the service: Dorin Court Bungalow Short Break Service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care to up to five people on a short break or respite basis. There were three younger adults using the service at the time of the inspection.
What life is like for people using this service:
Since our last inspection in November 2017 improvements had been made. Risks to people had been mitigated and action had been taken to rectify any shortfalls identified as part of the providers own quality assurance systems.
The new registered manager had made changes to the running of the service which had led to improved outcomes for people and staff. People’s relatives and staff felt the service was well led and the registered manager 'listened' was 'open', 'approachable' and 'pro-active'.
People received safe and effective care from kind and caring staff. Staff knew people well and had a good understanding of their personality traits and emotional needs as well as their health and social care needs.
People and their relatives had been fully involved in the assessment and planning of their care before they started using the service. A care plan had been developed with each person detailing their likes, dislikes, preferences and care needs. The registered manager had identified some people’s care plans needed updating and was in the process of completing this piece of work.
Consent had been sought before any care had been delivered in line with legal requirements. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
Staff treated people and their relatives with kindness, dignity and respect. People’s privacy was protected and confidential information was stored securely. People were supported and encouraged to remain independent and do as much as possible for themselves. People enjoyed the range of activities on offer and were encouraged and supported to take part in social events at the service. Mealtimes were relaxed, informal and social occasions. People enjoyed the homemade food on offer and their dietary needs and preferences were met.
Steps had been taken to make sure people were safe. Risks to people had been assessed and minimised in the least restrictive way. The environment had been adapted to meet the needs of people who used wheelchairs and was clean, safe and hygienic. The premises and equipment had been routinely serviced and checked to make sure it was safe. Staff had access to protective clothing such as gloves and aprons and had completed training in infection control.
There were enough safely recruited and trained staff on duty to meet people’s needs and respond to request for assistance. Staff felt supported by the registered manager and had completed the training they needed to meet people’s assessed needs. Management and staff worked in collaboration with other stakeholders such as health and social care professionals and people’s relatives.
A complaints procedure was in place for people to follow. Although no complaints had been received there was a system in place for complaints to be recorded and responded to.
Rating at last inspection: Requires improvement (report published January 2018).
Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection. The service was rated good overall.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.