Venns Lane Care Home

Updated 23 February 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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team: This inspection was conducted by one inspector.

Service and service type: Venns Lane Care Home is a residential care home for up to 24 older people. There were 24 people were living at the home on the day of our inspection.

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

What we did: We reviewed information we had received about the service to assist us with the planning of this inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from the local authority, Healthwatch and health professionals who work with the service.

During the inspection, we spent time with people in the communal areas of the home and we saw how staff supported the people they cared for. We used the Short Observational Framework for inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke with nine people living at the home about the care they received. We spoke with three relatives, the provider [who is also the registered manager], deputy manager, the activities co-ordinator, the cook, two care staff and a visiting health professional.

We reviewed a range of records. This included two people's care records and multiple medication and health records. We also looked at records relating to the management of the home. For example, systems for managing any complaints and people’s rights, and minutes of meetings with people who live at the home. In addition, we saw the checks undertaken by the registered manager on the quality of care provided. We also attended a resident and relatives meeting that took place on the day of our inspection.

Updated 23 February 2019

About the service: Venns lane Care Home is a residential care home that was providing personal care to 24 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection.

People’s experience of using this service:

• People said they enjoyed living at Venns Lane Care Home and were very complimentary about the staff who cared for them.

• Staff were respectful to people they cared for and promoted people’s right to independence, dignity and privacy. Staff supported people to make their own decisions about their care and understood how people liked to communicate.

• Staff understood people’s safety needs well and supported them so their individual risks were reduced.

• People were receiving their medicines when they should. The provider was following safe protocols for the receipt, storage, administration and disposal of medicines.

• People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this.

• People were supported to enjoy the best health outcomes possible, and staff were supported to do this by the systems the registered manager/provider had put in place to promote good working with other health and social care professionals.

• Staff supported people to have enough to eat and drink so they would remain well.

• People were supported in an individualised way that encouraged to remain as independent as possible.

• People's, their relatives' and other health and social care professional’s views were listened to when people’s needs were assessed and plans for their care were agreed and reviewed. Staff understood people’s histories, what was important to them, and how people liked their care to be provided.

• People were given the opportunity to have interesting and fun activities to do.

• Systems were in place to take any learning from complaints and to reflect on people’s needs and to further improve people’s care.

• The registered manager/ provider sought suggestions for improving people’s care further and suggestions were listened to and acted on.

• People, staff and relatives spoke very positively about the registered manager.

• Quality assurance checks were in place and identified actions to improve the service.

• The registered manager understood and notified CQC of any important events that occurred within the home.

Rating at last inspection: This was the first inspection for this home, following the provider's registration with the Care Quality Commission.