About the serviceHolly House Care Home is a residential care home situated in Washington. It provides accommodation and personal care for up to 40 people including adults over 65 and adults under 65. The service does not provide nursing care. At the time of our inspection 31 people used at the service, some of whom were living with dementia.
People's experience of using this service and what we found
People felt at home, relaxed and well cared for. They were supported by staff who knew them well. They interacted warmly with staff and the atmosphere was welcoming and vibrant.
Risks to people's health and safety were assessed and regularly reviewed. Staff followed these plans to ensure people’s safety was maintained.
There were always enough staff to meet people’s needs promptly and calmly. There was no reliance on agency staff. People and relatives got to know staff well as a result.
The provider had safeguarding and whistleblowing policies and systems in place. Staff understood these and how to identify potential signs of abuse.
Staff worked proactively with external partners to keep people safe and review their needs.
The registered manager undertook a range of audits and analysis to look for patterns and trends. For instance, falls and incidents data.
The environment was clean and well maintained. The outdoor space was safe and well used for events such as fayres and parties.
Staff were recruited safely. The registered manager supported their ongoing competence and confidence with refresher training, supervisions and competence checks.
Medicines were stored and administered safely. Staff demonstrated a sound knowledge of people’s needs. Records were accurate, up to date and followed good practice.
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’s nutritional needs were understood and feedback regarding meals was positive. Staff used nationally recognised tools to monitor risks associated with malnutrition.
Activities were varied, interesting and a balance of group and individual activities. Staff were empowered to encourage people to try new things.
The registered manager had made some strong initial community links since opening the service and had a range of plans for the future.
The registered manager was well respected by staff and external partners. Feedback from external specialists was extremely positive regarding the leadership of the service and how proactive they were.
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 7 September 2021 and this is the first inspection.
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.