Archived: The Cambrian

Updated 5 May 2015

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 was 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 18 and 19 February 2015 and was unannounced. Our inspection team consisted of one inspector.

We checked the information we held about the service and provider. This included the notifications that the provider had sent to us about incidents at the service and information we had received from the public. We used this information to formulate our inspection plan.

We spoke with four people who used the service and one relative. We did this to gain people’s views about the care. We also spoke with four members of care staff, two senior care staff and the manager. This was to check that standards of care were being met. A visiting health care professional also gave us feedback about the care people received.

We spent time observing care in communal areas and we observed how the staff interacted with people who used the service.

We looked at two people’s care records to see if their records were accurate and up to date. We also looked at records relating to the management of the service. These included quality checks, staff records and complaints. We looked at these to check that the service was managed safely and effectively.

Updated 5 May 2015

We inspected this service on 18 and 19 February 2015. This was an unannounced inspection. The service registered with us in October 2013, this was their first inspection.

The Cambrian is a purpose designed care home that offers people temporary accommodation and respite care. The service is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 16 people. People who use the service may have a physical disability, a learning disability and/or a mental health needs, such as dementia. At the time of our inspection seven people were using the service.

The service had a 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run. The registered manager had recently taken a planned leave of absence, but a registered manager from another local service run by the provider was providing management cover.

We found that improvements were required to ensure all people could access and participate in leisure and social based activities that met their individual preferences.

People were protected from avoidable harm because safety risks were identified and managed and the staff understood how to keep people safe. Medicines were managed safely.

There were sufficient numbers of staff to meet people’s needs and keep people safe. Staff received training that provided them with the knowledge and skills to meet people’s needs.

Staff sought people’s consent before they provided care and support. Some people who used the service were unable to make certain decisions about their care. In these circumstances the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) were followed.

People were supported to access suitable amounts of food and drink of their choice and specialist diets such as vegetarian diets were catered for.

People’s health and wellbeing needs were monitored and advice from health and social care professionals was sought when required.

Staff treated people with kindness and compassion and people’s dignity and privacy was promoted. People were encouraged to make choices about their care and the staff respected the choices people made.

People were involved in the assessment and review of their needs and care was delivered in accordance with people’s care preferences.

People’s feedback was sought and used to improve the care. People knew how to make a complaint and complaints were managed in accordance with the provider’s complaints policy.

There was a positive atmosphere within the home and the staff, manager and provider regularly assessed and monitored the quality of care to ensure standards were met and maintained.