The inspection visit took place on 3 May 2017 and it was unannounced. Kenilworth Grange Care Home is a nursing home which provides care over three floors to younger and older people including people who are living with dementia and those who have a physical or mental disability.
Kenilworth Grange is registered to provide care for 60 people, of which 14 beds are part of the ‘Discharge to assess’ (D2A) scheme (funded by Clinical Commissioning Groups and South Warwickshire Foundation Trust). The D2A scheme aims to ensure people are moved out of hospital (when medically stable) to receive a period of rehabilitation/re-ablement in a community setting prior to assessment of their long term care needs. Some people on D2A may have complex health care needs and may not be able to return to their own home. At the time of our inspection visit there were 54 people living at the home, 12 of whom were on the D2A scheme.
At the last inspection, the service was rated Good overall, however responsive was rated as Requires Improvement. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.
There was a registered manager at the home. 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.
People and relatives were complimentary and satisfied with the quality of care they received. People received care that enabled them to live their lives as they wanted and people were able to provide choices about what they wanted to do for themselves. People were encouraged to make their own decisions about the care they received and care was given in line with their expressed wishes. People were supported to maintain important relationships and to keep in touch with those people.
Care plans contained accurate and detailed relevant information for staff to help them provide the individual care people required. People and relatives were involved in making care decisions and reviewing their care to ensure it continued to meet their needs.
For people assessed as being at risk, care records included information for staff so risks to people’s health and welfare were minimised. Staff had a good knowledge of people’s needs and abilities which meant they provided safe and effective care. Staff received essential training to meet people’s individual needs, and effectively used their skills, knowledge and experience to support people and develop trusting relationships. Staff told us the training they received equipped them to meet and support people’s needs.
People’s care and support was provided by a caring staff team and there were enough trained and experienced staff to be responsive to meet their needs. People told us they felt safe living at Kenilworth Grange and relatives supported this. Staff knew how to keep people safe from the risk of abuse. Staff and the registered manager understood what actions they needed to take if they had any concerns for people's wellbeing or safety.
The registered manager and care staff understood their responsibilities in relation to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Where people lacked capacity, staff’s knowledge and people’s records ensured people received consistent support when they were involved in making complex decisions, such as decisions around their personal safety or where they wanted to live. Staff gained people’s consent before they provided care and supported people to retain as much independence as possible.
People were supported to pursue various hobbies and leisure activities but this was an area the registered manager planned to improve to ensure people had a variety of activities that personally interested them.
People received meals and drinks that met their individual dietary requirements. People received support from staff when they required it, and anyone at risk of malnutrition or dehydration, were monitored and if concerns were identified, advice was sought and followed.
People knew how to voice their complaints and information in people’s rooms advised them how to do this, expected timescales and actions to take if they were not satisfied with their response.
People’s feedback was sought by completing provider surveys and regular attendance at ‘resident and relatives’ meetings held in the home. The registered manager had an ‘open door’ for people, relatives, staff and visitors to the home.
The provider’s internal governance and registered manager’s systems were effective to monitor and drive improvements. A series of regular audits and checks informed one service improvement plan which was regularly updated and followed to ensure actions led to improvements. The service people received was in accordance with the fundamental standards of care.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.