The Dales

Updated 18 February 2022

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.

As part of the Care Quality Commission’s response to care homes with outbreaks of COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the IPC practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 27 January 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 18 February 2022

About the service

The Dales is a residential care home providing personal care to 32 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 40 people.

The care home is an older property which has been adapted and extended to provide suitable accommodation for older adults. There are suitable shared areas and outside seating. The home has a specialist wing for people living with dementia. The dementia care unit also has a secure garden area.

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

People told us they felt safe and well cared for. They were relaxed in the home and responded positively to staff. Staff had received suitable training about protecting vulnerable adults. Accidents, incidents, complaints and concerns were responded to appropriately.

Staffing levels ensured that people received suitable care and support. Recruitment was suitably managed. New members of staff had been suitably vetted and inducted. They understood individual needs of people in the home.

Staff were appropriately trained to give the best support possible. Staff knew people's needs and preferences and were skilled in working with people in the home. These included personal care skills, dementia care and moving and handling strategies.

People saw their GP and health specialists. The district nursing team visited regularly to undertake nursing tasks and give advice to staff. The staff team completed assessments of need with health professionals and social workers. Medicines were suitably managed and people had reviews of their medicines on a regular basis.

People told us the meals were of a high standard. One person said,“The food is very varied, well you can’t please everyone, but they give it a good try”. People were supported and encouraged to eat as healthily as possible.

Staff were kind and patient. They supported people in a respectful way. People said, "The girls are fine, I’ve no complaints” and “The staff are nice, the girls are very good to me”.

Confidentiality, privacy and dignity were maintained when delivering personal care and when assessing and responding to need. People had the support of advocates if necessary. Relatives said, “It’s excellent, we can’t fault it” and "[My relative] is very comfortable, staff are so kind to them”.

Risk assessments and care plans had been updated and developed in the service. They were now detailed and up to date. The plans reflected the person-centred care being delivered.

Staff could access specialists if people needed communication tools like sign languages.

The home provided a range of activities with entertainment and outings on offer. People told us they wanted a cinema room and this had been provided. The home also had a bar and a quiet room. People were encouraged to follow their own hobbies.

The management of the service good. An action plan had been developed to support improvement in the home. Quality monitoring was in place, with staff at all levels completing audits. People were consulted through meetings and individual reviews of their care and support.

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

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 31 August 2018). 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 regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.