We carried out a review of the data available to us about Dalmeny House on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Dalmeny House, you can give feedback on this service.
We found the following examples of good practice.
People were supported to maintain contact with their family and friends by telephone or video calling. People could also have one designated visitor by prior arrangement. There was a shelter in the garden which allowed for socially distanced visits.
People were able to still enjoy their hobbies and interests. During the visit, some people were outside tending to the garden. There were also plants throughout the home people were growing ready to put in the garden. There was an allotment away from the home where people grew vegetables. Other activities such as arts and crafts, mindfulness and movie nights also took place.
Staff were observed to be wearing the correct Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), this included wearing additional PPE when entering people’s rooms. There was a designated room for staff to put on and take off their PPE.
Policies and procedures in relation to infection prevention and control were regularly reviewed and updated to reflect changes in national guidance.
People living in the home, and the staff were tested for COVID-19 at regular intervals in accordance with Government guidelines.
Dalmeny House is a residential care home providing personal care and support for up to 11 people aged 18 years and over living with mental health problems. At the time of the inspection, 11 people were living at the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
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.
Dalmeny House offered one to one and group activities including growing produce on a local allotment, attending voluntary work and accessing the local community. Staff showed empathy, kindness and compassion, and placed value on their caring roles and involvement in people’s lives. The care provided was flexible to meet assessed needs and preferences.
The service worked with people to complete end of life care planning to ensure provision of high standards of care and support at that stage of their life. The service had good working relationships with the local GP practice and mental healthcare professionals.
The service worked in partnership with people, families and staff and encouraged feedback on the care provided. We received positive feedback from people and staff about the service. Staff told us they enjoyed working at Dalmeny House and spoke highly of the support provided by the registered manager.
People had their care and support needs met by sufficient numbers of suitably trained staff. The care environment was clean and comfortable throughout. The service had governance arrangements in place and completed regular internal quality checks and audits. Findings from these were reviewed by the registered manager and provider and used to continually drive improvement within the service.
The registered manager was passionate about the people they supported and they valued their staff team. They encouraged staff to develop and fostered an open and supportive culture within the service.
Rating at last inspection: Dalmeny House was previously inspected 21 December 2016 and rated as Good overall. The report was published 06 April 2017.
Why we inspected: This was a scheduled, comprehensive inspection, completed in line with our inspection schedule for services rated as Good.
Follow up: We will continue to monitor this service and will reinspect in line with our schedule for services rated as Good.
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Dalmeny House provides accommodation, care and support for up to 11 adults with mental health needs, some of whom may also have a learning difficulty. At the time of our inspection there were nine people living in the home.
There was a registered manager in post. 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.
There were enough staff working in the home to help ensure people's safety. Where there were unexpected staff shortages, staff worked well together, to ensure people's needs continued to be met safely and appropriately. Staff were recruited in a way that ensured proper checks were carried out, which helped ensure only staff who were suitable to work in care services were employed. Staff knew how to recognise different kinds of possible abuse and understood the importance of reporting any concerns or suspicions that people were at risk of harm appropriately. The registered manager also understood their role in addressing any issues.
Risks to people's safety were identified, recorded and reviewed on a regular basis. There was also written guidance for staff to know how to support people to manage these risks. Staff worked closely with healthcare professionals to promote people's welfare and safety. Staff also took prompt action to seek professional advice, and acted upon it, where there were concerns about people's mental or physical health and wellbeing.
People's medicines were stored and administered safely and as the prescriber intended and staff were trained and competent to support people in this area.
People enjoyed their meals and were provided with sufficient quantities of food and drink. People were also able to choose what they had. If people were identified as possibly being at risk of not eating or drinking enough, staff would follow guidance to help promote people's welfare and input would be sought from relevant healthcare professionals.
Staff were trained well and were competent in meeting people's needs. Staff understood people's backgrounds and preferences and supported people effectively. New staff were required to complete a probationary period and induction and all staff received supervisions and appraisals of their work.
Staff understood the importance of helping people to make their own choices regarding their care and support. Staff consistently obtained people’s consent before providing support and, if people lacked capacity to make some decisions, staff understood how to act in people’s best interests to protect their human rights.
Staff had developed respectful, trusting and caring relationships with the people they supported and consistently promoted people’s dignity and privacy. People were able to choose what they wanted to do and when. People were also supported to develop and maintain relationships with their friends and families. People engaged in a number of activities both in and outside of the home and were supported to maintain and enhance their independence as much as possible.
The service was well run and communication between the management team, staff, people living in the home and visitors was frequent and effective. People and their families and friends were able to voice their concerns or make a complaint if needed and were listened to with appropriate responses and action taken where possible.
There were a number of systems in place in order to ensure the quality of the service provided was regularly monitored. Regular audits were carried out in order to identify any areas that needed improvement, which were then acted upon.
One person's relative told us, 'This home is quite unique. It's not like other homes, this is so good!' They also said, 'Thank God my [relative] is somewhere so good. The care is excellent; Just great. All the staff are on the ball.'
People we spoke with said that the food was always good. One person said, 'We can choose what we want if we don't want what's on the menu.' This person also said, 'I really like the roast dinners and I like chips ' it's all really good.' Another person said, 'The chef's brilliant, can't beat the food here!'
Two of the people we spoke with told us that they knew what medicines they had been prescribed, what they were for and how and when to take them.
Five staff members told us that they had regular one-to-one time for supervisions and appraisals.
The three people, we spoke with at length, all confirmed that they knew how to make a complaint and felt comfortable talking to the manager, provider or any of the staff. One person told us, 'We have meetings if there are any issues but most of the time we just talk.'
One person's relative told us, '[The provider] is very nice; very approachable, as is the manager and all the staff.' This person also confirmed that they would be comfortable raising any issues or making a complaint if they ever needed to.
Two of the people we spoke with told us that they enjoyed various activities and said that the home organised weekly trips to the cinema and bowling. Three people we spoke with in the lounge told us how pleased they were that the home had satellite television.
Everybody said all the staff were good and very supportive. One person said: "The staff know us all very well and they know our needs. I sometimes think the staff know us even better than we know ourselves."
One person who lived in Dalmeny House took us on a full tour of the premises and showed us that their room had an en-suite shower, which they said they were really pleased about.
People told us that they weren't permitted to smoke anywhere inside the home but that they had a proper smoking room, which was warm and comfortable.
People also told us that there were always enough staff around when they needed them.