Vine House

Vine House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 14 people in one adapted building with bedrooms over 2 floors. At the time of our inspection there were 13 people using this service.

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

Risks to people’s health and safety were not always identified and medicines were not always managed and stored safely. During the inspection we noticed the communal areas were unattended for some time and no action had been taken in relation to 1 staff member not having any references. We made recommendations about this. People felt safe using this service and relatives praised the staff team. Infection control processes were followed and visits were actively encouraged.

People’s needs were assessed before they started using this service and the provider worked well with other healthcare professionals. Staff received an induction when they started in their role and completed various training courses to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to safely care for people. 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.

People were treated with dignity and respect by staff who knew them well. People were encouraged to make their own decisions and were involved in their care planning process.

Concerns were raised about the lack of stimulation provided to people and the lack of activities provided. We made a recommendation about this. Care plans contained people’s personal information to help staff get to know people well and prompt conversation. Concerns and complaints were listened to. People’s end of life wishes were recorded where appropriate.

Governance systems were in place but were not always effective. There was limited evidence of risks being identified or reduced and audits did not always identify concerns found during the inspection. Feedback was sought from staff, people and their relatives. Staff had not had a supervision for some time but did attend regular staff meetings. People and their relatives spoke highly of the staff and management team.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 5 June 2019 and this is the first inspection.

The last rating for the service under the previous provider was good, published on 1 February 2017.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to medicines management, the health and safety of people living at this service and governance processes. We made recommendations in relation to staffing levels, staff recruitment processes and activities.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from 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 continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.