The inspection was unannounced and took place on the 30 November 2016.Oasis House provides care and support for up to 30 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. There were 30 people living at the service when we visited.
Prior to this inspection we had received concerns in relation to the standard of cleanliness in some areas of the premises. We therefore needed to ensure that people were living in a clean and hygienic environment and were receiving safe care in line with the fundamental standards.
The service did not have a registered manager in place, but a manager was in post. They were going through the registration process with the Care Quality Commission (CQC). 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.
People felt safe. Staff had received training to enable them to recognise the signs and symptoms of abuse and they knew how to report any concerns. People had risk assessments and management plans in place. These had been developed with people using the service and the multi-disciplinary team of health care professionals and care staff working at the service.
There were sufficient staff with the appropriate skill mix available to support people with their needs. Effective recruitment procedures were in place to ensure suitable staff were employed. Staff did not start working at the service until all of the necessary pre-employment checks had been carried out.
Systems were in place to ensure that people’s medicines were managed safely. There were arrangements in place for ensuring that the premises were clean and hygienic.
Staff received appropriate training, supervision and support to enable them to carry out their roles and responsibilities effectively.
People were supported to make decisions about their care and support. Their consent to be supported was sought in line with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 legislation. Any restrictions placed on people’s liberty were legally authorised using the least restrictive means. The manager and staff team were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.
People were able to make choices about the food and drink they had and to maintain a healthy and balanced diet. Staff supported people to attend health care appointments; and they had access to a variety of health care professionals including the dentist, optician, chiropodist, dietician and the speech and language therapist.
People and their relatives including health care professionals commented positively about the standard of the care provided. Staff provided care and support in a meaningful manner; and knew about people’s preferences and personal histories.
People and their relatives’ views were listened to and they were actively encouraged to be involved in their care and support. Staff treated people with kindness and compassion; and their rights to privacy and dignity were fully respected.
Visitors to the service were welcomed and there were no restrictions on visiting times.
People’s needs were assessed before coming to live at the service and the care plans reflected how their needs were to be met.
There was a complaints procedure, which people their relatives and staff were aware of. Complaints raised with the service were responded to and investigated in line with the complaints procedure.
The ethos of the service promoted an open and inclusive culture where people’s views mattered. A variety of quality monitoring audits were carried out, which were used to drive continuous improvement.