This inspection visit took place on 20 October 2015 and was unannounced.
At the last inspection on 23 September 2013 the service was meeting the requirements of the regulations that were inspected at that time.
Merwood is a care home registered to accommodate up to 16 people. The home is situated on the sea front in Bispham close to local shops and amenities. Accommodation comprises of two lounges, dining room, kitchen, and laundry. Bedrooms are located on the ground and first floor and comprise of 14 single bedrooms and one double room with ensuite facilities. A passenger lift is available to facilitate access between the ground and first floor. At the time of our inspection visit there were 15 people who lived at the home.
There was 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 had systems in place to record safeguarding concerns, accidents and incidents and take necessary action as required. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood their responsibilities to report any unsafe care or abusive practices. People we spoke with told us they felt safe and their rights and dignity were respected.
We found recruitment procedures were safe with appropriate checks undertaken before new staff members commenced their employment. Staff spoken with and records seen confirmed a structured induction training and development programme was in place.
Staff received regular training and were knowledgeable about their roles and responsibilities. They had the skills, knowledge and experience required to support people with their care and social needs.
We found sufficient staffing levels were in place to provide the support people required. We saw staff members were responsive when people required assistance. Call bells were answered quickly and people requesting help were assisted in a timely manner. One person we spoke with said, “I have no concerns about the staff being available when I need them.”
The registered manager understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). This meant they were working within the law to support people who may lack capacity to make their own decisions.
People who lived at the home had freedom of movement and could spend time in their room if that was their choice. They were involved in decision making about their personal care needs and the running of the home. We saw no restrictions on people’s liberty during our visit.
People were happy with the variety and choice of meals available to them. Regular snacks and drinks were provided between meals to ensure people received adequate nutrition and hydration. The cook had information about people’s dietary needs and these were being met.
Care plans we looked at confirmed the registered manager had completed an assessment of people’s support needs before they moved into the home. We saw people or a family member had been involved in the assessment and had consented to the support being provided. People we spoke with said they were happy with their care and they liked living at the home.
The environment was well maintained, clean and hygienic when we visited. No offensive odours were observed by the Inspector. The people we spoke with said they were happy with the standard of hygiene in place.
We found medication procedures in place at the home were safe. Staff responsible for the administration of medicines had received training to ensure they had the competency and skills required. Medicines were safely kept and appropriate arrangements for storing were in place.
People told us they were happy with the activities arranged to keep them entertained. On the morning of our inspection visit we saw staff undertaking armchair exercises with people. During the afternoon people were entertained by a singer. One person we spoke with said, “We have some really interesting activities organised for us. The entertainer coming this afternoon is very good.”
The service had a complaints procedure which was made available to people on their admission to the home. People we spoke with told us they were comfortable with complaining to staff or management when necessary.
The registered manager used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. These included annual satisfaction surveys, staff and resident’s meetings and care reviews. We found people were satisfied with the service they were receiving.