Ellesmere House

Updated 1 June 2019

The inspection:

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) 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 Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team:

This inspection was conducted by one adult social care inspector.

The service had a manager registered with CQC. This means they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and the quality and safety of the care provided.

Service and service type:

Ellesmere House is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care. Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Notice of inspection:

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did:

Our plan took in to account information the provider had sent to us since the last inspection. We considered information about incidents the provider must notify us about and looked at issues raised in complaints and how the service responded to them. We assessed information we require the provider to send to us at least annually within their provider information return (PIR); this provides key information about the service, what the service does well and the improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During our inspection we spoke with six people using the service to ask about their experience of care. We spent time making observations of the care provided and the interactions from staff towards people. We spoke with the registered manager, four care staff and the cook. We also looked at four people’s care records and a selection of other records including those related to the quality monitoring of the service.

Details are in our key findings below. This report includes information provided by the expert by experience.

Updated 1 June 2019

About the service: Ellesmere House is registered to provide accommodation with personal care to a maximum of 28 people. The service also offers day care and respite services. The home is situated in a small village in Ellesmere and supports older people, some of whom were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 18 people were being supported.

People’s experience of using this service:

The atmosphere at Ellesmere House was calm and homely; the registered manager and staff had developed strong, familiar and positive relationships with people. Throughout the inspection staff were seen to be warm and affectionate towards people and approached tasks in a calm and compassionate way. Staff were seen to be genuinely motivated to deliver care in a person-centred way based on people's preferences. Staff treated people with kindness and respect and were seen to use techniques to help relax people with positive outcomes. Everyone we spoke with told us Ellesmere House was homely and that staff were always kind and caring towards them.

People told us they felt safe living in the home. Risks that people faced were identified and assessed and measures in place to manage them and minimise the risk of harm occurring. Staff showed a good understanding of their roles and responsibilities for keeping people safe from harm. Medicines were managed safely and people received their medication at the right times. The environment was safe and people had access to appropriate equipment where needed.

Enough suitably qualified and skilled staff were deployed to meet people's individual needs. Staff received a range of training and support appropriate to their role and people's needs. Staff clearly knew people and their needs well and were seen to provide care and support that was based on their needs and preferences. People's needs and choices were assessed and planned for. Care plans identified intended outcomes for people and they were to be met in a way they preferred. People told us they received the right care and support from staff who were well trained and knew what they were doing. People received the right care and support to eat and drink well and their healthcare needs were understood and met. People who were able, consented to their care and support. Where people lacked the capacity to make their own decisions they were made in their best interest and in line with the Mental Capacity Act.

People received personalised care and support which was in line with their care plan. People knew how to make a complaint and told us they were confident about complaining should they need to.

The registered manager was keen to create a community feel within the home and where possible made efforts to engage members of the local community with the service and people living there. The service promoted a positive culture that was person-centred and inclusive. The registered manager was described by staff as approachable and supportive and helped to create a warm and happy environment to work in. Effective systems were in place to check the quality and safety of the service and improvements were made when required.

Rating at last inspection: Good (report published 18 October 2016).

Why we inspected: This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up: We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

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