6 February 2020
During a routine inspection
Belmont is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 49 people aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection there were 39 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People did not always receive their medicines as prescribed and in line with best practice guidance to improve their conditions or symptoms. Not all staff had received training in the handling of medicines. People were protected from the risk of abuse and avoidable harm by staff who understood how to recognise, respond and report concerns. Allegations of abuse had been dealt with in a robust manner to assure people about their safety. People and their relatives told us they were safe. People and their relatives gave us mixed feedback regarding staffing levels at the home. The registered manager had robust and safe recruitment procedures and monitored the safety of the premises.
Staff supported people with meaningful day time activities inside the home and in the local community. People's individual communication needs had been assessed and staff had tools to assist their interactions with people. The registered manager dealt with people's concerns and complaints appropriately.
People told us their care and support had not always been planned in partnership with them and their relatives. Staff had received regular training. Improvements were required to ensure all staff were trained in the safe handling of medicines and received supervision in line with best practice guidance. 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.
People were positive about the service and said staff were kind and caring. People were treated with dignity and respect and their right to privacy was upheld. People were comfortable in the company of staff.
The governance and quality checks in the home did not consistently promote safe management of medicines. People, their relatives and staff spoke positively about the registered manager. The registered manager and the provider needed to improve the quality monitoring systems to ensure they were robust.
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 (16 August 2017).
Why we inspected
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.
Enforcement:
We have identified breaches in relation to the management of medicines and lack of effective quality monitoring systems at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.
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.