Archived: Oakworth Manor

Updated 28 February 2017

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 9 January 2017 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two adult social care inspectors.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the home. This included notifications received from the provider and information from the local contracts and safeguarding teams. We also asked the provider to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. The service had returned this in a timely manner and we took this into account when making our judgements.

During our inspection we looked at three people's care records, some in detail and others to review specific information, four staff recruitment files, staff training information and other records which related to the management of the service such as quality audits and policies and procedures.

We also spoke with three people who used the service and three visitors as well as two health care professionals who regularly worked with the service, three care staff, the laundry assistant, the registered manager and the provider.

Updated 28 February 2017

Our inspection of Oakworth Manor took place on 9 January 2017 and was unannounced.

Oakworth Manor provides personal care for up to 21 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. There were 19 people using the service on the day we inspected. Accommodation is arranged over two floors with a stair lift on the main staircase. There are two lounges and a dining room on the ground floor and bedrooms are a mixture of single and double rooms.

The home had a registered manager who had been in post since May 2014. 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 told us they felt safe living at the service. Safeguarding protocols were in place and staff understood the types of abuse and how to keep people safe. Safeguarding training had taken place.

Appropriate risk assessments were in place to keep people safe and people's risk assessments formed the basis of person centred care plans.

Accidents and incidents were documented and analysed. We saw actions taken as a result, such as reviewing people's risk assessments and care plans.

Medicines were mostly managed appropriately. However, some recording and procedures for checking medicines were not accurate and there were no protocols for 'as required' (PRN) medicines which had been identified as an issue at the previous inspection.

Robust recruitment processes were in place and staff had received appropriate training to provide effective care and support. Staff numbers were appropriate for keeping people safe and staff received regular supervision and annual appraisal.

Checks were conducted on equipment and the building although we found the gas safety check was several months out of date.

The service was complying with the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and consent was sought wherever possible. People or their legal representative were involved with planning of care and consent forms were seen in people's care records. People's preferences were sought and choice offered.

A choice of food was offered at mealtimes and people were supported to consume a healthy and nutritious diet. Food supplements were used where required and people were encouraged to eat at their own pace. Appropriate referrals had been made to the dietician and people's weights and food/fluid intake was recorded. A high emphasis was put on encouraging people's fluid intake through the use of hydration bottles.

People had access to a range of health care services. Health care professionals we spoke with told us communication from the service was good and their advice and recommendations were followed.

We saw kind and compassionate interactions between staff and people who used the service. The atmosphere was calm and relaxed with people's relatives and friends encouraged to visit without restrictions.

The service employed an activities coordinator and a range of activities were on offer, with people given the choice to participate.

A complaints policy was in place and we saw any complaints received were taken seriously, investigated and actions taken as a result.

Quality assurance systems were in place to monitor and analyse the quality of the service and any required improvements. However, these were not always effective as some of the issues we found during our inspection had not been identified through the audits.