Archived: Hulton Care Nursing Home (Nelson)

We spoke to nine people living in the home and all expressed their satisfaction with the service provided. One person told us, 'It's very nice' and another person commented, 'I have no complaints. Everything is fine'.

People's care and support was planned and delivered in accordance with their needs. People had individual support plans which were underpinned by a series of risk assessments. All care plans had been audited on a regular basis to ensure they contained up to date information.

A new system to manage medication had been implemented which was based on paper records. Policies and procedures were in place for the operation of the new system and all staff designated to administer medication had completed appropriate training.

The provider had notified the commission as necessary in line with the current regulations.

We spoke to eight people using the service and found they had mixed views about the care they experienced. One person told us, 'I don't feel cared for', however another person commented 'They certainly look after you, it's nice here'. We looked at people's care plan documentation and found that each person had an individual care plan. However, people had not always been involved in care plan reviews and some sections of the plans had not been fully completed. This meant staff lacked up to date guidance about people's current needs and wishes.

We found improvements were needed in respect of the management of medication. On the day of our visit one person's records were inaccurate and a prescribed topical preparation for another person was not available on the premises. According to the person's medication administration records this had not been applied for over two months.

At our last inspection staff were not provided with appropriate supervision, however we noted on this visit that staff had received a supervision with the manager. All staff had completed their mandatory training.

We received information from social services about two incidents in the home which should have been notified to the commission without delay. We received the notifications on request and sometime after the incidents took place. It is a requirement for all registered persons to notify us in line with current legislation.

People's care was planned and delivered in accordance with their needs. People had individual care plans which were supported by a series of risk assessments and daily care records.

People were satisfied with the food provided. There was a choice of meals and people confirmed the food was of a good quality and there was always plenty to eat. Drinks and snacks were served throughout the day or on request.

Staff were provided with appropriate training which was relevant to their role and they were invited to attend staff meetings. However, we found staff had not received an individual supervision for sometime. These are important to ensure staff are well supported in their role.

There were systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service, which included gathering the views of people living in the home and their relatives.

On this inspection the provider was compliant with both outcomes assessed.

People were satisfied with the care provided one person told us, 'I'm happy here and I wouldn't want to go anywhere else'. People's care was planned and delivered in accordance with their needs. People had detailed individual care plans which were supported by a series of risk assessments. We also found there was clear written guidance for staff on how to move people safely.

We noted suitable arrangements were in place to handle and manage medication. All records looked at were complete and up to date and detailed checks were carried out on a monthly basis to ensure medication was handled correctly and safely.