We carried out a review of the data available to us about The Malthouse Care Home on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about The Malthouse Care Home, you can give feedback on this service.
The Malthouse Care Home is registered to provide residential care, for older people. The home can accommodate up to 34 people. At the time of the inspection there were 30 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People told us they felt safe living at The Malthouse Care Home. A health and social care professional said people were "genuinely in safe hands."
People had personalised and regularly reviewed risk assessments which helped to minimise risk related to areas of their lives such as mobility, dietary intake and skin integrity.
The service was working within the principles of the MCA and if needed, appropriate legal authorisations were in place to deprive a person of their liberty.
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.
Medicines were managed safely and were only administered by staff with the relevant training and competency checks. People told us they received their medicines on time and as prescribed.
There were enough suitably trained staff on shift to meet people’s needs. Staffing levels had recently increased. People told us they were supported in a timely way. Our observations confirmed this.
Accidents and incidents were reported and analysed to identify any themes and trends. This helped prevent a re-occurrence. Learning was shared within the home and between sister homes.
Although staff said they felt appreciated by the management within the home there was mixed feedback from staff about provider recognition of their work. We raised this with the provider for follow up. A staff survey was currently underway.
The home had a friendly, open and supportive culture. Staff said they felt proud to work for The Malthouse Care Home and described the culture as "like a family."
People and relatives described the registered manager and deputy manager as approachable and keen to resolve issues when raised. Staff said the registered manager had brought a number of improvements since coming to the home including increased staffing levels and improved activities provision.
Staff were actively encouraged and supported to gain new skills and qualifications.
Annual surveys were held to gain feedback from people and relatives which was analysed and used to drive improvement. Positive feedback had been received in a recent survey.
A health professional spoke positively about the home, felt it was well managed and described it as “a home from home.”
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was good (published 24 November 2017).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.
For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
The overall rating for the service has remained good based on the findings of this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for The Malthouse Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.
The Malthouse is registered to provide residential care, for older people. The Malthouse can accommodate up to 34 people. At the time of the inspection there were 33 people using the service.
The home had a registered manager in place. 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. The registered manager displayed good leadership qualities, drive and enthusiasm. They empowered staff to provide care that was tailored to individual's needs.
We found a stimulating environment with a warm and welcoming atmosphere. People, staff and relatives had developed strong and mutually respectful relationships. Feedback we received about the service was consistently high. We saw positive interactions between people and staff and staff treated people with dignity and respect, anticipating their needs.
There were adequate numbers of staff to keep people safe and make sure their needs were met. Throughout the inspection we saw staff met people’s physical needs and spent time socialising with them. One person told us, “I have no complaints I get help when I need it and my tablets on time”.
People using the service were involved in the recruitment process. The robust recruitment and selection process ensured the safety of individuals who lived at The Malthouse.
There were robust systems and processes in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff were able to describe in detail different types of abuse and what their responsibilities were in protecting people. This ensured the welfare of vulnerable people was protected through the rigorous whistle blowing and safeguarding procedures.
Assessments were undertaken to identify people's care, health and support needs. There was a strong emphasis on person centred care. People and their families were at the centre of decision making whilst working alongside professionals to get the best outcome possible. Care plans were developed with people who used the service and relatives to identify how they wanted to be supported.
Staff demonstrated an awareness of people's changing needs. Care plans and risk assessment were reviewed and updated to ensure they reflected people's current needs. An assistant manager told us, when updating care plans they involved the person or their representative.
Staff displayed enthusiasm and pride in their work. We saw the registered manager provided
comprehensive levels of supervision and appraisals for staff. This resulted in a talented and motivated workforce. The management team recognised potential and invested in their staff. This empowered staff to support the people who used the service effectively.
There were many occasions during the day where staff and people who used the service engaged in conversation, general banter and laughter. Staff spoke with people in a friendly and courteous manner, and were discreet when speaking to people about their personal care. This showed us that that people were treated with dignity and respect and this promoted their well-being.
We saw that staff had been creative in their introduction of social experiences for people; an example was new information gathered alerted staff to past interests and activities. This resulted in people being supported to join their local swimming pool for ‘Swim for the brain’. One person said, “I can’t believe that I have been afforded the opportunity to swim again, it has made me feel alive again”.
Activities, outings and events were well thought through, and varied. An activity coordinator told us, “We do so much and have great fun. We cook on Sunday afternoon, I don’t have to tell anyone how to make a cake, and they make lovely cakes for our tea.”
The mealtime experiences were seen as positive for people living in the service. Throughout the day, snacks and hot and cold drinks were offered to all. If people wished to receive alcoholic beverages, these were provided.
Safe systems were in place to protect people from the risks associated with medicines. Medicines were managed in accordance with best practice. Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely. Medicines were administered by senior care staff. All staff administering medicines had received training in the correct procedures to follow. Records showed annual competency checks had taken place for all staff responsible for administering medicines.
There was a strong presence of health care professional involvement at the service where people had access to all healthcare professionals and services. Professionals who visited the service during the inspection told us the service was outstanding. People were supported and encouraged to have regular health checks and were accompanied by staff to hospital appointments.
The registered provider had a system in place for responding to people's concerns and complaints. People and relatives told us they knew how to complain and felt assured that staff would respond and take action to support them. People and relatives we spoke with did not raise any complaints or concerns about the service. The management team sought feedback from staff, people, relatives and external partners on a regular basis.
There was a culture of continuous learning and improvement. Survey responses were analysed and shared with all stakeholders. The registered manager had regularly completed a wide range of audits to maintain people's safety and welfare at the service. Staff told us that the home had an open, inclusive and optimistic culture.