Spencer House

Spencer House is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 25 older people, some of whom were living with dementia. At the time of the inspection there were 21 people using the service.

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

Risks to people’s health had not always been consistently assessed, monitored and reduced. The registered manager addressed this shortfall during the inspection.

Some people, who were living at Spencer House for a short while, did not have care plans to support consistent care. Staff followed a list of daily tasks on an electronic handheld device to provide support. Risks, when they had been identified, were noted on the application. Staff knew how people preferred to be supported.

Audits and checks by the management team had not identified the shortfalls found during the inspection. Action was taken straight away to address these.

Some areas of the service needed repair and redecoration. There were plans in place to refurbish the service with the involvement of the people living there.

People received their medicines as prescribed. These were stored and disposed of safely.

People and their relatives told us there were enough staff and they were not rushed. The service was actively recruiting staff. Staff were recruited safely and completed training. Plans were in place to update staff training as the registered manager confirmed some staff were two or three months behind with this.

People told us they enjoyed the meals served at the service. People were encouraged to eat healthily and drink plenty.

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 and their relatives told us staff were kind, compassionate and caring. They spoke positively about the management of the service and felt they were listened to. People’s privacy and dignity were respected, and their independence was encouraged.

People were supported to maintain relationships to avoid social isolation. Staff provided meaningful activities which people told us they enjoyed. The atmosphere was relaxed, and people enjoyed the company of each other and staff. Throughout the inspection people and their relatives chatted and laughed with the staff.

People and their relatives had no complaints about Spencer House and felt confident to raise any worries with management or staff.

Staff worked closely with health care professionals to make sure people received the care and support they needed.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 5 May 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was completed as part of our inspection programme.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the Safe, Effective and Well-Led sections of this full report.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified a breach in relation to good governance.

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.