York House

Updated 20 November 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of an inspector and an assistant inspector. Day two of the inspection was carried out by an inspector.

Service and service type

York House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

Day one of the inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and one relative. We spoke with the registered manager, the operational manager and eight members of staff including senior care assistants, care assistants, administrator, cook and laundry assistant. We also spoke to three visiting healthcare professionals.

We carried out observations in the communal areas of the care home. We reviewed a range of records. This included two people’s care records in detail, one person’s care records in a specific area and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, were also reviewed.

Updated 20 November 2019

About the service

York House is a purpose-built care home providing personal care to 35 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 36 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. The home stands in its own grounds with an enclosed garden and car parking.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

We found one breach of the regulations in relation to medicine management. Medicines were not always safely managed.

People and their relatives were positive about the service and the care provided. The recruitment of staff was safe and staff received induction and undertook mandatory training.

Staff were kind, caring and compassionate. The home was welcoming and friendly. It was clear people and staff had formed good relationships. People and relatives were involved in decision making. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity.

People told us they thought the food was good. People were cared for by staff who knew how to keep them safe and protect them from avoidable harm. There were suitable and sufficient numbers of qualified staff to support people in line with their assessed needs.

Staff were responsive to people's needs and wishes and knew people well. People were offered choices and encouraged to remain independent. People's views were sought and action taken to improve the service from these.

The registered manager was proactive and visual within the home. They operated an open-door policy. People, relatives and staff knew them well.

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; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. The provider was working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 9 October 2018). The service remains rated requires improvement. This is the second time the service has been rated requires improvement.

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found enough improvement had not been made and the provider was still in breach of regulations.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Enforcement

We have identified a breach in relation to safe care and treatment at this inspection. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.