Archived: St Johns Wood Care Centre

Updated 26 February 2015

We undertook an unannounced inspection to St John’s Wood Care Centre on 8 August 2014.

The inspection was carried out by an inspector, a medicines inspector, a professional advisor who was a nurse with knowledge of older people’s needs and two experts 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 the inspection the provider also 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 spoke with the local safeguarding team and a GP to obtain their views of service delivery.

During the visit, we spoke with 15 people using the service, five visitors, 10 care staff and the registered manager. We spent time observing care and support in communal areas. We also looked at a sample of seven care records of people who used the service and five staff records and records related to the management of the service.

This report was written during the testing phase of our new approach to regulating adult social care services. After this testing phase, inspection of consent to care and treatment, restraint, and practice under the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) was moved from the key question ‘Is the service safe?’ to ‘Is the service effective?’

The ratings for this location were awarded in October 2014. They can be directly compared with any other service we have rated since then, including in relation to consent, restraint, and the MCA under the ‘Effective’ section. Our written findings in relation to these topics, however, can be read in the ‘Is the service safe’ sections of this report.

Updated 26 February 2015

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 and to pilot a new inspection process being introduced by CQC which looked at the overall quality of the service.

We undertook an unannounced inspection of St John’s Wood Care Centre on 8 August 2014. St John’s Wood Care Centre is a home in Camden providing residential and nursing care for up to 100 people. The people who use the service have a variety of care needs. The service supports older people, who may have dementia, as well as people with learning and physical disabilities.

At our last inspection on 7 March 2013 the service met the regulations inspected.

The service had a registered manager who had been in post since December 2010. 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.

Safeguarding adults from abuse procedures were robust and staff understood how to safeguard the people they supported. Managers and staff had received training on safeguarding adults, the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards and the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Medicines were being managed safely.

People were supported to eat and drink. Staff supported people to attend healthcare appointments and liaised with their GP and other healthcare professionals as required to meet people’s needs.

Assessments were undertaken to identify people’s health and support needs and any risks to people who used the service and others. Plans were in place to reduce the risks identified. Care plans were developed with people who used the service to identify how they wished to be supported.

People were treated with dignity and respect. Staff understood people’s preferences, likes and dislikes regarding their care and support needs.

People received individualised support that met their needs. The service had systems in place to ensure that people were protected from risks associated with their support, and care was planned and delivered in ways that enhanced people’s safety and welfare according to their needs and preferences.

People using the service, relatives and staff said the manager was approachable and supportive. Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service and people and relatives felt confident to express any concerns, so these could be addressed.