Shortwood House

Updated 28 March 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. We planned this inspection 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

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Shortwood House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and we looked at both during this inspection.

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

Notice of inspection

We carried out the inspection visit on 6 February 2019. It was unannounced.

What we did

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (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 reviewed the PIR as part of the planning process for this inspection, as well as other information we held about the service, including previous reports and statutory notifications sent to the Care Quality Commission (CQC) by the provider. Statutory notifications are information about important events at the service, such as safeguarding concerns, which the provider is required to send to us by law.

During our inspection we saw how the staff interacted with people who lived at Shortwood House. We spoke with four people who lived there and one person’s relatives. We spoke with three care workers, the cook, the care manager and the provider.

We looked at two people’s care records as well as other records relating to the management of the home.

Updated 28 March 2019

About the service

Shortwood House is a care home that offers care and support to up 12 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. There were 10 people using the service at the time of our visit.

At our last inspection in October 2015 we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns.

People’s experience of using this service

• People were very happy living at Shortwood House. They felt safe and liked the staff who supported them. Relatives were very satisfied with the service and they felt welcomed when they visited and said that staff contacted them to inform them of any changes. Staff were proud to be working at the service and enjoyed their job. Everyone said they would recommend the home.

• Everyone praised the care manager and the provider and said they were approachable and supportive. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs in a timely way. Staff went through a thorough recruitment process so the provider knew they only employed suitable staff

• The provider had systems in place to keep people safe from avoidable harm. Staff knew who to report any concerns to and risk was identified and managed so that people were as safe as possible. Staff had received the training they required so they had the knowledge and skills to do their job and meet people’s needs.

• Staff gave people their prescribed medicines safely. They followed good practice guidelines to help prevent the spread of infection. People had access to the healthcare services they required.

• There was a variety of nutritious meals based on people’s choices and nutritional needs. Staff were flexible so they could meet people’s individual needs.

• People made choices in all aspects of their lives. Staff knew each person well, including their likes and dislikes and their preferences about how they wanted staff to care for them.

• Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and encouraged people to be as independent as possible. People had opportunities to decide on the care they wanted and to review and change the care if it was not meeting their needs.

• The staff team were all involved in arranging a wide range of activities for people to do. They organised group and individual activities.

• People knew how to complain and were confident that the care manager would resolve their complaints.

• There were effective quality monitoring processes in place including seeking the views and feedback of people who used the service and their relatives. Shortwood House was homely and staff did everything to make people’s lives as comfortable and fulfilling as possible.

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

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection we rated this service Good (report published October 2015).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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