This inspection took place on 18 January 2019 and was unannounced. At the last inspection completed 02 March 2016 we found the service to be ‘good’ and meeting all the legal requirements. At this inspection we found the service was now ‘outstanding’. The Watermill 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 care home accommodates up to 40 people in one adapted building. The service is split into four ‘houses’ each accommodating up to 10 people. At the time of the inspection there were 37 people using the service, all of whom were living with dementia.
A registered manager was in post. 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 were supported by a passionate and committed staff and management team. People were made to feel valued, important and respected as individuals. The staff and managers went the extra mile to ensure that people felt cared for and that their lives were enhanced wherever possible. People’s independence was fully promoted and their dignity was upheld.
Care staff knew people well and fully understood their needs. Where people’s needs had changed they were reassessed and care staff understood how the support they provided needed to change. People’s equality, diversity and human rights were fully respected and the service took proactive steps to ensure that people felt comfortable to express who they were and to live how they chose.
People were given access to a wide range of leisure opportunities. The reminiscence coordinator considered people’s individual preferences and developed a unique range of activities that people could participate in. The registered manager and staff team placed a high level of importance on ensuring people’s quality of life was good and they were able to live as full a life as they wished.
People, relatives and care staff gave excellent feedback about the registered manager and the service as a whole. They were encouraged to be fully involved in the development of the service and making decisions. People felt they had a voice and that they were heard.
The registered manager was committed to driving improvements and ensuring people were able to live in a service providing excellent service to them. They were proactive in securing community links and volunteered to be involved in new initiatives and opportunities for learning. Professionals, partner organisations and people from the community all spoke highly of the management, staff and service as a whole.
People felt safe living at the service. They were supported by a staff team who understood how to protect them from the risk of abuse, accident and injury. Where incidents had arisen, lessons were learned to enable steps to be taken to reduce the risk of harm to people in the future.
People received their medicines as prescribed. People were protected by effective infection prevention and control. People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely.
People’s needs were assessed holistically and the service worked to meet their emotional, physical and health needs. People’s consent was sought before staff provided support. Where people lacked the mental capacity to make decisions or provide consent, decisions were made in their best interests in line with the law.