We inspected Guisborough Manor Care Home on 7 and 10 June 2016. The first day of the inspection was unannounced which meant the staff and registered provider did not know we would be visiting. We informed the registered provider of the date of our second visit.Guisborough Manor Care Home is purpose built and can accommodate up to 63 people. The service provides care and support to people who require personal care and care for people living with a dementia. There are two separate units. The ground floor accommodates people who require assistance with personal care. The first floor of the service provides accommodation for people living with a dementia. At the time of our inspection there was 60 people using the service.
A new manager had been recruited and had been in post since 11 April 2016. The new manager had submitted an application to become the registered manager on 9 June 2016. A registered manager is a person who is 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.
There were systems and processes in place to protect people from the risk of harm. Staff were able to tell us about the different types of abuse and what actions they would take if they suspected abuse was taking place. Safeguarding alerts had been made when needed.
Risk assessments were in place for people who needed them and where specific to people’s needs. However, some risk assessments required updating as they did not correspond with peoples current needs.
Emergency procedures were in place for staff to follow and personal emergency plans were in place for everyone. However, some of these were not up to date and did not identify peoples current needs in the event of an emergency.
Robust recruitment procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been made
There was sufficient staff on duty. People and relatives told us there was enough staff day and night to meet the needs of people who used the service. A dependency tool was used to determine safe staffing levels.
Medicines were managed appropriately. The service had policies and procedures in place to ensure that medicines were handled safely. Medication administration records were completed to show when medicines had been administered and disposed of.
Required certificates in areas such as gas safety, electrical testing and hoist and wheelchair maintenance were in place.
Staff performance was monitored and recorded through a regular system of supervisions and appraisals. Staff had received up to date training to support them to carry out their roles safely and had completed an induction process with the provider.
People were supported to maintain their health through access to food and drink. Appropriate tools were used to monitor people’s weight and nutritional health. We could see that staff made referrals to health professionals when they became at risk of malnutrition or dehydration.
Staff demonstrated good knowledge and understanding of the requirement of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and Deprivation of Liberties Safeguards. The manager had a system in place for recognising when DoLS applications needed to be made or reviewed. Best interest decisions were recorded in the care plans and included details of who was involved in the best interest decisions.
People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare professionals and services when needed. People had regular visits from their own GP’s.
From our observations, staff demonstrated that they knew people’s needs very well and could provide the support that was needed.
People, and where appropriate their relatives, were actively involved in care planning and decision making; this was evident in signed care plans. Information on advocacy was available and staff told us they had been used in the past.
People and their relatives spoke highly of the service and the staff. People said they were treated with dignity and respect.
Care plans detailed people’s needs, wishes and preferences and were person centred. Some care plans required updating as they did not correspond with people current needs in areas including mobility.
The service employed an activities coordinator to plan activities and outings for people who used the service. People told us they were extremely happy with the activities that took place.
The registered provider had a clear process for handling complaints which we could see had been followed.
Staff described a positive culture that focused on the people using the service. They felt supported by the management. Staff told us the new manager was approachable and they felt confident they would deal with any issues raised.
Staff were kept informed about the operation of the service through regular staff meetings.
Quality assurance processes were in place. The registered provider visited regularly to monitor the quality of the service.
Accidents and incidents were monitored to identify any patterns and appropriate actions were taken to reduce the risks.
Feedback from staff and people who used the service was regularly sought through meetings and surveys and action plans were developed to improve the service.
The service worked with various healthcare and social care agencies and sought professional advice to ensure that the individual needs of people were being met.
The manager understood her role and responsibilities. Notifications had been submitted to CQC in a timely manner. Notifications are changes, events or incidents the provider is legally obliged to send us within required timescales.