Archived: Kingsmead Care Home

Updated 13 April 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 and to look at the overall quality of the service.

This inspection took place on 13 March 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of two inspectors 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.

Before the inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service and the service provider. The registered provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the notifications we had received for this service. Notifications are information about important events the service is required to send us by law.

Throughout our inspection we spent time observing care at the service. We spoke to 10 people and five relatives. We also spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, two nurses, an assistant practitioner, one senior care assistant, one care assistant, the maintenance man, the activities co-ordinator and the chef.

We looked at records, which included five people’s care records and medication administration records (MAR). We checked recruitment, training and supervision records for four staff. We also looked at a range of records about how the service was managed. Following the inspection we contacted a number of external health and social care professionals and commissioners to obtain their views about the service.

Updated 13 April 2018

We inspected this service on 13 March 2018. Kingsmead Care Home is a residential setting which means people receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Kingsmead Care Home is registered to provide support for up to 40 older people. The service comprises of three units, ground floor Honeysuckle general nursing, first floor’s Cherry Blossom unit for people living with dementia and a small, five bedded Lavender wing. On the day of our inspection there were 35 people using the service.

At the last inspection on 21 and 22 February 2017 the service was rated Requires Improvement in Safe and Well-led domains, and overall. Caring, Effective and Responsive domains were rated as Good.

At this inspection we found the service improved to Good in Safe and Well-led domains and Good overall. Caring, Effective and Responsive remained Good.

On our last inspection we found the provider’s quality assurance processes were not always effective. We issued a requirement notice and asked the provider to submit the action plan how they were going to address these concerns. The registered manager promptly wrote to us to say how they were going to meet the requirements in relation to breach of Regulation 17. We found the systems to monitor the service had improved and allowed the team to identify areas for improvement effectively. There was an open and transparent culture demonstrated by the team. People and relatives were positive about the team and how the service was run.

We also found the provider addressed the concerns around medicines management we identified on our last inspection and people received their medicines as prescribed. People remained safe at the service. Staff knew how to protect people’s safety and how to raise any safeguarding concerns. Risks related to people’s well-being were identified and guidance how to manage these risks was incorporated into people’s care planning.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the CQC 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.

The team worked well together, staff praised the management and told us they were led by example. The staff were enthusiastic and there was a positive, cheerful atmosphere at the service.

The Care Quality Commission (CQC) is required by law to monitor the operation of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and report on what we find. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible.

There were enough staff to keep people safe and people were supported with no unnecessary delay. The provider followed safe recruitment procedures when recruiting new staff. Staff had the relevant training and told us they felt well supported.

People were supported in a caring and compassionate way. Staff ensured people’s privacy was respected and they were treated with dignity. People’s confidentiality was maintained. People’s individual needs in relation to accessing information were respected.

The service worked well with external professionals when required. People were supported to access external health professionals when needed and to meet their nutritional needs. People were positive about the food at the service.

People’s needs were assessed prior to admission to Kingsmead and care plans in place that ensured people’s needs were recorded. People had opportunities to engage in social activities including one to one support if needed.