Corner House

Updated 25 July 2018

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check 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.

This unannounced inspection took place on 26 April 2018 and was carried out by two inspectors and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before our inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We reviewed information that we had received about the service such as notifications. This is information about important events, which the provider is required to send us by law. We also looked at information sent to us from other stakeholders, for example the local authority and members of the public.

We spoke with eleven people who used the service, six relatives, two visitors and three visiting health and social care professionals. We also observed the care and support provided to people and the interaction between staff and people throughout our inspection.

To help us assess how people’s care needs were being met we reviewed nine people’s care records and other information, for example their risk assessments and medicines records.

We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, regional manager and two directors. We also spoke with 12 other members of staff.

We looked at four staff personnel files and records relating to the management of the service. This included recruitment, training, and systems for assessing and monitoring the quality of the service.

Updated 25 July 2018

Corner House is a privately owned and run care home. It provides accommodation and personal care and support for up to 57 older people, including people living with dementia and those needing support with a physical health condition. Corner House does not provide nursing care. There were 44 people living in the service when we inspected on 26 April 2018. This was an unannounced inspection.

There was a registered manager 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.

At our last inspection in August 2015, we found that people received personalised care, which was responsive to their needs, and the service was rated good. At this inspection, we found that people continued to receive good care and found the service was outstanding in the way it was led.

The management team were dynamic and innovative in their approach. They had a clear vision and set of values which they worked towards, and which were reflected throughout the staff team. Staff, people, relatives and healthcare professionals spoke highly of the management, and were confident in their ability.

There was a robust quality assurance system which meant the directors and management team had highly effective oversight of how the service was meeting people’s physical, emotional and social needs. The management team set a high standard for their staff and led by example. There was a strong emphasis on continually striving to improve.

People were at the heart of the service and the atmosphere was warm and welcoming. There was a positive, open and inclusive culture in the service.

People presented as relaxed and at ease in their surroundings and told us that they felt safe. Procedures were in place which safeguarded the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. People knew how to raise concerns and were confident that any concerns would be listened and responded to.

There were systems in place to minimise risks to people and to keep them safe. Staff were trained and supported to meet people’s needs effectively. There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs. Recruitment processes checked the suitability of staff to work in the service.

People were provided with their medicines in a safe manner. They were prompted, encouraged and reassured as they took their medicines and given the time they needed.

Staff understood the importance of gaining people’s consent and were compassionate, attentive and caring in their interactions with people. They understood people’s preferred routines, likes and dislikes and what mattered to them.

The management team and staff understood their responsibility to comply with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Staff supported people to have maximum choice and control of their lives in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were complimentary about the way staff interacted with them. Independence, privacy and dignity was promoted and respected. Staff took account of people’s individual needs and preferences and people were encouraged to be involved in making decisions about their care.

People’s nutritional needs were assessed and professional advice and support was obtained for people when needed. They were supported to maintain good health and had access to appropriate services which ensured they received ongoing healthcare support.

There was an open and transparent culture in the service. A complaints procedure was in place. People’s comments, concerns and complaints were listened to and addressed in a timely manner. People, relatives, visitors and staff were confident that any concerns raised would be taken seriously and dealt with appropriately by the management team.