We carried out an unannounced inspection of McAuley Mount Care Home on 22 and 23 October 2014. McAuley Mount Care Home is a care home which is registered to provide care for up to 26 people. It specialises in the care of older people and does not provide nursing care. The philosophy of care is underpinned by the Roman Catholic faith. At the time of the inspection there were 25 people accommodated at the service.
McAuley Mount is situated in Burnley and is a two-storey purpose built care home situated in its own grounds. The accommodation includes apartments (with a lounge, bathroom, bedroom and kitchenette), single en-suite bedrooms and single rooms without en-suite facilities. There is a sun room, a dining room, a conservatory/lounge and a chapel. A passenger lift provides access between the two floors. The grounds are accessible to people using the service. Car parking is available next to the premises.
At the previous inspection on 13 December 2013 we found the service was meeting all the standards assessed.
The service was managed by 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.
At this inspection, people told us they felt safe at the service. One person said, “The security is very high” and a visiting relative commented, “It’s a safe place for mum”. During the inspection we did not find anything to give us cause for concern about people’s wellbeing and safety. Whilst we found each person had risk assessments in place, providing more details will better protect people.
We found there were enough staff available to provide support. During the inspection we observed there were enough staff available to attend to people’s needs, we noted call buzzers were responded to in a timely way. Recruitment practices made sure appropriate checks were carried out before staff started working at the service.
People were receiving safe support with their medicines. However, we found progress was needed to provide clearer directions for staff on the administration of some medicines.
People told us they experienced good care and support. People’s needs were being assessed and planned for before they moved into the service. We found arrangements were in place to monitor and respond to people’s health and well- being. The service had developed good working relationship with health care professionals.
People spoken with indicated they were treated with kindness and compassion. One person commented, “The goodness of people here I can’t describe”. People said their privacy, dignity and independence were respected. One person told us, “They are lovely, they treat everyone with respect”. We observed people being as independent as possible, in accordance with their needs, abilities and preferences.
People told us how they were keeping in contact with families and friends. Visiting arrangements were flexible. A relative told us, “We can call anytime”. People explained how they were supported to follow their own chosen hobbies and interests, such as reading, writing and activities within the community.
During the inspection we observed staff involving people in routine decisions and consulting with them on their individual needs and preferences. However, we found some progress was needed to more effectively screen people’s capacity to make their own decisions.
People were happy with the variety and quality of the meals provided. They said, “The meals we get here are great” and “There’s a minimum of two choices and we can always have something else”. Support was provided with maintaining a healthy diet in response to individual needs.
Systems were in place to ensure all staff received regular training, supervision and support. Care workers spoken with understood their role in providing people with effective care and support.
All the people spoken with had an awareness of the service’s complaints procedure and processes. Arrangements were in place to investigate and respond to any concerns raised.
People made positive comments about the management and leadership arrangements. One person told us, “We have a magnificent manager who is willing to listen and act”. The manager and team leader used various ways to monitor quality. There were systems and processes in place to consult with people and audit the service. The managers had identified several matters for development within the next 12 months. One person who used the service told us, “Overall I think the planning is better”.
The information we hold about this service indicates they consistently meet the requirements of registration and are responsive to the inspection process. Following the inspection visit we contacted the registered manager to provide feedback on our findings. We were given assurances that action would be taken to respond to the identified shortfalls, along with clarification as to how the matters were to be addressed. We were confident the registered persons would take action in response to these matters.