Riverside House

Updated 23 December 2023

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 team consisted of one inspector.

Service and service type

Riverside House 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. Riverside House is a care home without 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

The inspection was unannounced. We carried out an unannounced visit to the home on 6 December 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since it was registered. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with 12 people who lived in the home and 2 relatives. We looked around the home and observed how staff interacted with people. We spoke with the registered manager, 3 members of staff and a visiting healthcare professional.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and training. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the service. We contacted an additional 2 staff by email to gather their views.

We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

Updated 23 December 2023

About the service

Riverside House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 32 people. The service provides support to older people, people living with dementia and people who have a physical disability or sensory impairment. At the time of our inspection there were 24 people using the service.

The provider for the service changed to Westmorland and Furness Council following the local government reorganisation and creation of Cumberland Council and Westmorland and Furness Council. The service was previously carried on by Cumbria County Council.

People’s experience of the service and what we found:

People were safe and protected from abuse. Risks to people’s safety had been identified and managed. There were enough staff to support people. Staff gave people the support they needed to take their medicines safely. Staff were trained in infection prevention and control procedures to protect people from the risk of infection. The registered manager ensured lessons were learned from any incidents to further improve the safety of the service.

People’s needs were assessed to ensure the service was able to provide the support they needed. Staff were trained and skilled to provide good-quality care. People were included in planning the meals provided and received support, as they needed, to enjoy their meals and drinks. People were supported to access healthcare services and to maintain good health. The registered manager and staff were aware of their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act 2005. 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.

Staff treated people in a respectful and caring way. They gave people time and guidance to carry out tasks themselves to maintain their independence. Staff knew how people communicated. They gave people information and support to make and express choices about their care. Staff respected the decisions people made about their lives and support.

People, and those who knew them well, were included in planning their support. People enjoyed a range of activities and were able to receive visitors as they wished. People were supported to maintain relationships that were important to them. The provider had a procedure for responding to complaints about the service.

People received person-centred care that met their needs. The registered manager had developed an open and inclusive culture in the service. They understood their responsibilities under the duty of candour and were open with people when incidents occurred in the home. The registered manager and staff were committed to the continuous improvement of the service. They assessed the quality and safety of the service to identify how it could be further improved to promote positive outcomes for people. Staff worked in partnership with other services to ensure people consistently received care that met their needs.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 1 April 2023 and this is the first inspection.

The service was previously carried on by a different provider. The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good (published on 24 November 2018.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow Up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.