Archived: Rosehill Residential Home

Rosehill Residential Home is owned by The Henry Lonsdale Charitable Trust and situated on the outskirts of Carlisle. The home provides care for up to 40 older people who may have various forms of dementia related conditions.

The home is divided into four units all at ground floor level. Each unit has lounge and dining facilities and adapted bathing facilities. There are extensive well maintained gardens and grounds.

The service had a 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

Care plans were person centred and showed that individual preferences were taken into account. Care plans were subject to regular review to ensure they met people’s changing needs. This meant people received personalised care. They were easy to read and based on assessment and reflected the needs of people. Risk assessments were carried out and plans were put in place to reduce risks to people’ safety and welfare.

Where people were not able to make important decisions about their lives the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed to protect their rights. Staff were aware of how to identify and report abuse. There were policies in place that outlined what to do if staff had concerns about the practice of a colleague.

The staff were trained to an appropriate standard and received regular supervision and appraisal. As part of their recruitment process the service carried out background checks on new staff. Staffing levels during the day were acceptable. At night there was only two staff on duty which at times may have been insufficient to meet people’s needs in a timely manner. The provider acted immediately and organised for staffing to be increased at night. We have made a recommendation relating to monitoring staffing levels.

The service managed medicines appropriately. They were correctly stored, monitored and administered in accordance with the prescription. People were supported to maintain their health and to access health services if needed. People who required support with eating and drinking received it and had their nutrition and hydration support needs regularly assessed.

Staff had developed good relationships with people and communicated in a kind and caring manner. They were aware of how to treat people with dignity and respect. Policies were in place that outlined acceptable standards in this area.

There was a complaints procedure in place that outlined how to make a complaint and how long it would take to deal with. People were aware of how to raise a complaint and who to speak to about any concerns they had.

The home was well led by a registered manager who had a vision for the future of the service. A quality assurance system was in place that was utilised to improve the service.

"The staff are all very polite and they always ask me what I want. I am so much better since I came here."

"My partner is very well looked after here. I am very satisfied with the way the staff team care for her."

We judged that the staff cared for people appropriately and gave people plenty of options and choices despite everyone in the home having some form of dementia.

We looked at the arrangements in place for helping people to get the right levels of nutrition and hydration. We saw that people were given nutritious foods and helped to drink as much as possible.

We also looked at the management of medication. We saw that people receive their medicines in a timely fashion. The processes around medicines management were suitable and the staff recorded the administration appropriately.

On the day of our visit there were enough staff to meet the needs of the people in the service. We asked people about staffing, we looked at rosters and we judged that there were enough staff to care for people appropriately.

The home had created a friendly, open and welcoming atmosphere. We found that people were engaged in their surroundings and alert, frequently having conversation with each other and with staff. They told us they had been involved in making decisions about their care and said they were well supported. Relatives we spoke with were also very positive about the service the home offered, saying comments such as,

'It is quite impossible to fault the home in any way, the service and care provided. It is simply excellent."

'My relative feels safe and well cared for and treated with respect and affection."

"Staff go the extra mile, we have been impressed with the professionalism of the staff, the younger ones included."

We found the home had staffing levels that allowed time for both the care and the social needs of people to be well met. There was a varied programme of group and individual activities. The staff team were experienced and well trained with specialist skills in caring for people with dementia.

The building was maintained to high standards and people told us that they appreciated living in such a 'beautifully kept home."