Archived: Cornerways Residential Home

Updated 16 September 2017

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 is 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 July 2017; it was unannounced and carried out by one inspector.

Before the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service, including previous inspection reports and their PIR. This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We considered the information which had been shared with us by the local authority and other people, looked at any safeguarding alerts which had been made and notifications which had been submitted. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law.

During the inspection, to help us understand the experiences of people, we observed staff carrying out their duties, communicating and interacting with people. We spoke with seven people who lived at Cornerways. We spoke with two visiting heath care professionals and a visiting social care professional. We displayed a poster in the communal area of the service inviting feedback from people and relatives. Following this inspection visit, we did not receive any additional feedback. We inspected the home, including the bathrooms, kitchen and some people's bedrooms.

We spoke with two staff members and the registered manager. We reviewed a variety of documents. These included six care files, staff rotas, three staff recruitment files, medicine administration records, minutes from staff and resident meetings, audits, maintenance records, risk assessments, health and safety records, training and supervision records, audits and quality assurance surveys.

Updated 16 September 2017

This inspection took place on 18 July 2017 and was unannounced. The previous inspection was carried out in June 2016. At that inspection concerns were identified about some aspects of staff recruitment processes. We also found some records of safety checks and people’s care needs were not fully completed. At that time we asked the provider to send us an action plan about the changes they would make to address these concerns. At this inspection we found the required action had been taken to make the improvements needed.

Cornerways is registered to provide personal care and accommodation for up to 20 people. There were 18 people using the service during our inspection, who were living with a range of health and support needs. Cornerways is a detached house situated within the town of Hythe and with close access to the town centre. The service is arranged over three floors, each person had their own bedroom apart from one room, shared by a married couple. Access to the first floor is by a shaft lift with stair lifts to the remaining floor, making stair free access to all areas of the service.

The service had a registered manager, who was present throughout the inspection. They shared their time between this service and another one owned locally by the same provider, where they are also the 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.

Staff followed correct and appropriate procedures in the storage and dispensing of medicines. People were supported in a safe environment and risks identified for people were managed in a way that enabled people to live as independent a life as possible. People were supported to maintain good health and attended appointments and check-ups. Health needs were kept under review and appropriate referrals were made when required.

A robust system to recruit new staff was in place and made sure staff employed to support people were fit and suitable to be working at the service. There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty to make sure people were safe and received the care and support that they needed.

Staff had completed induction training when they first started work at the service. Staff were supported during their induction, monitored and assessed to check that they had gained the right skills and knowledge to support people in a way that met their needs. Staff continued to receive training and support. There were staff meetings, staff could discuss any issues and share new ideas with their colleagues, to improve people’s care and lives.

People were protected from the risk of abuse because staff had received safeguarding training and were aware of how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns. Staff knew about whistle blowing and were confident they could raise any concerns with the provider or outside agencies if needed.

The care and support needs of each person were different and their care plan was individual to them. Personalised care plans, risk assessments and guidance were in place to help staff to support people. People's legal rights were protected as staff provided care in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Staff followed the guidance of healthcare professionals where appropriate and we saw evidence of staff working alongside healthcare professionals to achieve best outcomes for people.

Staff encouraged people to be involved and feel included in their environment. People were offered varied activities and participated in social activities of their choice. Staff knew people and their support needs well, they treated people with kindness, compassion and respect. Staff took time to speak with the people they were supporting. People were offered a choice of nutritious meals, snacks and drinks were always available

There were positive and caring interactions between the staff and people and people were comfortable and at ease with the staff. People's privacy and dignity was respected.

People and relatives said they knew how to complain if necessary and that the registered manager was approachable. There was a clear complaints process in place

Staff felt there was good communication and were clear about their roles. They felt well supported by the registered and deputy managers. Feedback was sought from people, relatives and professionals about how the service was run.

A number of audits and checks were carried out each month by the registered and deputy manager, which were effective in identifying and addressing concerns and driving forward improvements.