Towneley House

Updated 14 September 2022

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

This inspection was carried out by one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Towneley 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. Towneley 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

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 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 three people who used the service and two relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with three members of staff, the registered manager and received feedback from two professionals who worked with the service. We reviewed a range of records. This included three people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the running of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 14 September 2022

About the service

Towneley House is a residential care home. The home provides personal care for older people. The home is able to accommodate a maximum of 22 people. At the time of inspection there were 15 people living in the home.

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

We have made recommendations about the management of some medicines and recording of legal documents pertaining to mental capacity and the permissions to make decisions on behalf of people.

Medication administration was managed safely and practices were monitored however, we identified some minor recording discrepancies in regard to ‘as and when’ medications.

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.

We saw that people were comfortable in the presence of staff and positive relationships had developed between people receiving support and staff. The environment had improved and this was an ongoing project.

Staff were recruited safely and received regular training, supervisions, attended staff meetings and the registered manager had sourced additional training ensuring staff would be able to support people effectively. Staff we spoke to said that they felt well supported.

Risks which compromised people’s health and well-being were appropriately assessed, reviewed when needed and contained detailed information. People told us they felt safe living at the service.

Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed in order to minimise the risk of reoccurrence. Safeguarding and complaints were also managed appropriately and monitored by the management.

Care plans and risk assessments detailed how people wished and needed to be cared for. They were regularly reviewed and updated as required. We saw evidence of how the registered manager and staff ensured people beliefs, choices and rights were respected.

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: The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 17 October 2020). The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulation 15.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Towneley House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Recommendations

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.