New Bassett House Care Home

Updated 17 October 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 11 September 2018 and was unannounced. Two inspectors conducted the inspection.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. For example, the PIR stated staff responded to people's needs and passed important information on to senior care workers and the registered manager. We observed this taking place during our inspection visit.

We reviewed the information we held about the service. We looked at information received from statutory notifications the manager had sent us and information received from members of the public. A statutory notification is information about important events which the provider is required to send to us by law.

We spoke with seven people who lived at the home and four relatives. We spoke with the registered manager, the director of care services manager and six staff including one senior care worker, two care workers, one agency worker, one member of domestic staff and the cook. We also spoke with two healthcare professionals who attended the home on the day of our inspection visit.

We reviewed five people’s care plans to see how their support was planned and delivered. We reviewed a range of management records which included staff training, audits, staff meetings and falls data to assure people received a quality service and the providers service improvement plan. Following our inspection visit we asked the registered manager to send us additional information regarding staff training. This was provided to us in a timely manner.

Updated 17 October 2018

This inspection took place on 11 September 2018 and was unannounced.

New Bassett 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 both were looked at during this inspection. The home has one floor with four wings containing bedrooms and bathrooms with communal spaces around the home, including a tea room for people and visitors to enjoy. There was a well-maintained garden with secure areas. The service was registered to provide accommodation for up to 40 people. At the time of our inspection 35 people were using the service.

New Bassett House 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.

We last inspected the home 25 & 27 January 2017. The home was rated as 'requires improvement' and we found two breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. Staff training was not up-to-date, and equipment used for the safe moving and handling of people had not been checked or serviced in a timely manner and in accordance with current health and safety recommendations.

Following the last inspection 25 & 27 January 2017 we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do and by when, to improve the key questions of safe and effective from requires improvement to good. We found the provider had acted to ensure equipment had been serviced and maintained. Some staff refresher training record was still required however, measures were in place to address this. This meant the provider was no longer in breach of the regulations.

The registered manager felt well supported by the provider. The management team carried out a range of audits to check the support and care people received to continually monitor and improve the quality of the service. However, the provider had not consistently monitored and analysed information relating to falls occurring within the home and care plan audits had not always been completed.

The monitoring of staff training had improved however, some staff still required refresher training and this was being addressed by the registered manager and the providers’ training department. Risks to people were assessed and plans implemented for staff to follow to reduce the risk. Although some assessments had not been updated, staff were still knowledgeable about people and the support they required.

Staff were knowledgeable about their role and put their learning into practice. People were supported to attend health care appointments to maintain their health and well-being and received support with food and drinks that took account of their preferences and dietary needs. People’s health needs were regularly monitored and they were referred to external healthcare professionals when a need was identified.

There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and provide support when required. Medicines were stored, managed, and administered safely and people received their medicines on time.

People were supported to have choice and control about their care and the registered manager and staff team ensured people were cared for in an environment where they were supported to live their lives as they wished. People were encouraged and supported to pursue interests and hobbies, as well as maintaining relationships important to them.

The staff demonstrated they had a good understanding of the visions and values of the home which were to ensure people’s independence was supported and they were well cared for. People told us they were encouraged and supported to maintain their independence. People were treated with respect and family members and friends were encouraged to visit as often as they wished.

Staff were caring, kind and supportive and ensured people’s privacy and dignity needs were met. The management team and staff had a good understanding of people’s individual needs and preferences.

People told us they felt safe at New Bassett House. The registered manager and staff understood how to protect people they supported from abuse, and knew what procedures to follow to report any concerns. Staff had a good understanding of risks associated with people’s care needs and how to support them.

People and relatives knew how to make a formal complaint and told us they felt comfortable raising any concerns they had with the staff. The provider had systems in place to monitor formal and informal complaints so they could identify areas where improvements could be made.

Staff felt the management team were supportive and promoted an open culture within the home. Staff could discuss their own development and best practice during one to one supervision and team meetings.

People were encouraged to share their views about the quality of service provided through regular meetings and quality surveys.