This inspection was carried out on 29 November and 2 December 2016. At our inspection on 21 and 22 October 2015 we found three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. At this inspection we found improvements had been made. Medicines were managed safely. Where risks were identified there were management plans in place to manage the risks. People's care records were accurate and up to date. People were supported in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005, however we found there were not always mental capacity assessments for specific decisions.
Huntercombe Hall Care Home is a care home providing nursing and personal care for up to 42 people. The home supports people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 38 people using the service.
The home had a new manager who was in the process of registering with CQC to become the registered manager. 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 were positive about living at Huntercombe Hall. People enjoyed a variety of activities and had contact with local community groups. People were able to spend their day as they chose.
People' relatives and staff were positive about the manager and the improvements that had been made since the new manager came in to post. The manager promoted an open culture and everyone felt confident to raise any concerns.
Staff were knowledgeable about people's needs. Staff received regular support and had the skills to meet people's needs. Staff supported people with care and compassion. There was a relaxed atmosphere throughout the inspection and requests for support were responded to promptly by all staff.
There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs, however staff were not deployed effectively at mealtimes. People did not always receive person-centred support at mealtimes. The chef was knowledgeable about people's specific dietary needs and ensured food provided met people's needs.
Staff felt well supported and had access to development opportunities to ensure their skills and knowledge was let up to date. Staff were positive about the communication between staff and management.
The provider had not taken action to resolve issues identified at our inspection in October 2015 in relation to people's mealtime experience.
There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the service. Accidents and incidents were monitored to ensure themes and patterns were identified.
There were systems in place to monitor the safety of the environment and equipment.
We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.