Seaton Hall Residential Home

Updated 9 January 2021

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.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 16 December 2020 and was announced.

Updated 9 January 2021

This inspection took place on 6 March 2018 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

Seaton Hall Residential Home 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 both were looked at during this inspection.

Seaton Hall Residential Home accommodates up to 29 older people who require personal care in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection, there were 23 people using the service.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) to manage the service. Like 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.

Seaton Hall was last inspected by CQC in January 2017 and was rated Requires improvement overall. At the inspection in January 2017 we identified the following breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014: Regulation 17 (Good governance). This was because the provider's governance system had not always been effective in identifying or addressing improvements to the service. At this inspection we found improvements had been made in all the areas identified at the previous inspection.

Accidents and incidents were appropriately recorded and investigated. Risk assessments were in place for people who used the service and described potential risks and the safeguards in place to mitigate these risks.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Medicines were stored safely and securely, and procedures were in place to ensure people received medicines as prescribed.

The home was clean and suitable for the people who used the service, and appropriate health and safety checks had been carried out.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. Staff were suitably trained and received regular supervisions and appraisals.

The provider carried out relevant vetting checks when they employed staff. However, there was no record of what documents had been checked to confirm the proof of identity of new staff. We have made a recommendation about this.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People were protected from the risk of poor nutrition and staff were aware of people’s nutritional needs. Care records contained evidence of people being supported during visits to and from external health care specialists.

People who used the service and family members were complimentary about the standard of care at Seaton Hall Residential Home. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and support plans were written in a person-centred way. Person-centred is about ensuring the person is at the centre of any care or support plans and their individual wishes, needs and choices are taken into account.

Activities were arranged for people who used the service based on their likes and interests, and to help meet their social needs. The service had good links with the local community.

People who used the service and family members were aware of how to make a complaint however there had been no formal complaints recorded at the service.

The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place. Staff said they felt supported by the registered manager and were comfortable raising any concerns. People who used the service, family members and staff were regularly consulted about the quality of the service via meetings and surveys. People and family members told us the registered manager was approachable and visible.

The registered manager completed a monthly audit of the service. The provider visited monthly however these visits were not recorded. We have made a recommendation about this.