Morning Stars

Updated 2 October 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of two inspectors.

Service and service type

Morning Stars is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. 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 unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with seven people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including the registered manager, team leaders and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included eight people’s care records and multiple medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We spoke with a professional who regularly visits the service. The registered manager sent us information regarding staff meetings that we requested during the inspection.

Updated 2 October 2019

About the service

Morning Stars is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 17 people at the time of the inspection. Morning Stars accommodates up to 20 people living with a mental health condition in one adapted building.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Audit systems were not always effective in checking the quality of the service and ensuring that all documentation was up to date. For example, audit checks on care plans did not identify that Personal Emergency Evacuation Procedures had not always been updated when people’s needs changed.

People told us they felt safe. Systems were in place to keep people safe and staff understood how to protect people from abuse. People’s risks were assessed and reviewed when their needs changed. People were supported by a sufficient number of safely recruited staff. Medicines were administered safely. People lived in a clean and tidy environment and staff understood how to prevent the spread of infection. When things went wrong, the registered manager ensure that lessons were learned to reduce the risk of future reoccurrence.

People’s needs and choices were thoroughly assessed and reviewed when needed. People’s diverse needs were considered within the assessment process. People were supported by staff who were well trained and knowledgeable to meet their needs. People were supported with eating and drinking where needed and encouraged to maintain a healthy diet. People were able to access healthcare support when needed and referrals were made in a timely manner. Staff worked closely with other professionals to ensure people’s needs were met in an effective way. People were encouraged to decorate and furnish their rooms in a personalised way.

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.

People were supported by kind and caring staff. People were encouraged to express their views and be involved in making their own decisions. People’s privacy and dignity was respected and their independence was promoted by staff.

People received personalised care that was appropriate to meet their needs. People’s communication needs were considered and staff communicated with people in a way they understood. People were encouraged to engage in activities of their choice. People’s concerns and complaints were listened to by the registered manager, investigated and action taken where needed. People’s end of life wishes were discussed with them so detailed preferences were known at that stage of their life.

People and relatives told us the registered manager was approachable. The registered manager encouraged a person-centred approach to people’s care which staff understood and followed. The registered manager understood their responsibilities and statutory notifications were submitted to CQC as required by law. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to provide feedback to improve the service. The registered manager was proactive in continuous learning and disseminating policy changes to staff. The service worked closely with other agencies to ensure people’s needs were met.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 21 March 2019) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.