Montague House

Updated 17 May 2023

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 checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two inspectors carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Montague House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Montague House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. A new manager had been in post for since September 2022 and had submitted an application to register. We are currently assessing this application.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 5 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 10 members of staff including the manager, 3 nurses, well-being staff, the chef and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people's care records. We observed medicine

administration and reviewed a sample of associated records. We looked at 2 staff files in relation to recruitment. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service, including audits, staff training, policies and procedures.

Updated 17 May 2023

About the service

Montague house is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for to up to 70 people. The service provides support to older and younger adults who may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 43 people using the service. The service is set up over three floors. People had their own bedrooms with access to en-suite toilets and share communal areas such as lounges, dining rooms, cinema room, café, hairdressing room, spa bathrooms and a large garden. There were also 6 suites for those that wanted a bedroom, ensuite and their own lounge.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

Medicines were not always managed in a safe way. Some of the systems for monitoring this were not implemented effectively. The risks to people's safety and well-being were assessed and planned for, however, risk assessments and care plans sometimes needed more detailed information. Staff knew people well, so this had not had any impact on people. Not all staff had completed fire drill training.

Incidents, accidents and complaints were investigated and learnt from.

People living at the service and their relatives were happy. People knew the staff and management team, they felt able to raise concerns and felt well informed about the service. People liked staff and had a good relationship with them.

People's needs were assessed, monitored, planned for and met. The staff worked closely with other healthcare professionals to identify and address any changes in their needs. People had enough to eat and drink and they enjoyed the food. There was a wide range of different social and leisure activities and people were able to take part in these.

There were enough suitably qualified and experienced staff. They were well supported and had access to a range of training and information. There was good teamwork and communication. Staff felt supported by the manager.

There was a range of systems designed to monitor and improve the quality of the service. These included checks by the management team and senior managers within the organisation.

The environment was suitable and well maintained.

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

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This service was registered with us on 30 November 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was undertaken as it is the first inspection since registration.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to the safe management of medicines at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.