Athenaeum Residential Care Home

We found the following examples of good practice.

The provider had appropriate arrangements for visiting to help prevent the spread of Covid 19. All visitors were required to complete a risk assessment prior to entering the building. Visitors had their temperatures taken on arrival and were screened for symptoms of acute respiratory infection before being allowed to enter the home. They were supported to wear a face covering and maintain hand hygiene during their visit. The service had a garden area to facilitate safe visiting for families. However, at the time of the inspection, non-essential visiting to the home was restricted due to a local area increase in Covid 19 infection rates.

There was specific guidance available for visiting healthcare professionals and maintenance people including specific guidance for lift engineers.

The provider had appropriate arrangements to test people and staff for Covid 19 and was following government guidance on testing. There was a designated team of staff that carried out all testing on people and staff at the home. This ensured that people and staff were tested for Covid 19 in a consistent way.

The provider ensured that staff received appropriate training and support to manage Covid 19. All staff had received training on Covid 19, infection control and the use of PPE. They received guidance on supporting people with dementia to understand Covid 19. Staff wellbeing was supported when they became unwell and when they returned to work.

There were touchless sanitiser points available throughout the building and through cleaning was done daily which included the fluid station, door handles, the lift entrance and visitors’ book.

Chairs in the lounge and dining areas had been arranged to ensure social distancing measures were in place.

All people admitted to the home were required to have a test before admission

The provider ensured that people using the service could maintain links with family members and friends. People were supported to keep in touch by phone and virtual technology

Further information is in the detailed findings below.

Athenaeum Residential Care Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 21 older people. On the day of our visit there were 20 people living in the home.

People’s experience of the service

Systems and processes were in place to keep people safe and risks associated with people's care needs had been assessed. There were enough staff to meet people's needs and recruitment processes and procedures were robust. Medicines were managed safely.

Although the service appeared clean and well maintained, there was a smell of urine in the communal lounge area.

We recommended that the service review their cleaning processes to ensure that there is no sign of malodour throughout the premises.

Staff received training and supervision for them to perform their role. People's nutrition and health were supported and promoted. 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.

Staff knew people well and care plans were detailed and provided staff with clear guidance on how to meets people's needs. Staff respected people privacy and dignity and encouraged people to remain independent. People and relatives could express their views about the running of the home.

People received personalised care and support which met their needs, reflected their preferences. People benefited from a variety of activities, events and trips out that were available to reduce social isolation, give meaning and purpose and enhance their wellbeing.

The service was well led. People, staff and relatives spoke positively about the registered manager and the provider. There was a positive culture throughout the service which focused on providing care that was personalised. The management team used a variety of methods to assess and monitor the quality of the service. They were aware of their regulatory responsibilities associated with their role.

More information is in the full report.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

The last rating for this service was good (report published June 2017). The service remains good.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

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

Athenaeum Residential Care Home is owned by Brownlow Enterprises Limited. The home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 21 older people. On the day of our visit there were 20 people living in the home.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People were positive about the service and the staff who supported them. People told us they liked the staff that supported them and that they were treated with dignity and kindness.

Staff treated people with respect and as individuals with different needs and preferences. The care records contained information about how to provide support, what the person liked, disliked and their preferences. People who used the service along with families and friends had completed a life history with information about what was important to people. The staff we spoke with told us this information helped them to understand the person.

The care staff demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s care needs, significant people and events in their lives, and their daily routines and preferences. They also understood the provider’s safeguarding procedures and could explain how they would protect people if they had any concerns.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced staff to care for the number of people with complex needs in the home. People told us they never had to wait for assistance. The atmosphere in the service was calm and relaxed and staff did not appear to be rushed.

Robust recruitment and selection procedures were in place and appropriate checks had been undertaken before staff began work. Medicines were managed safely. Seniors staff had detailed guidance to follow when administering medicines. Staff completed extensive training to ensure that the care provided to people was safe and effective.

There was an open and transparent culture and encouragement for people to provide feedback. The provider took account of complaints and comments to improve the service. A complaints book, policy and procedure were in place. People told us they were aware of how to make a complaint and were confident they could express any concerns and these would be addressed.

CQC monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005 and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) and reports on what we find. DoLS are a code of practice to supplement the main Mental Capacity Act 2005. These safeguards protect the rights of adults by ensuring that if there are restrictions on their freedom and liberty these are assessed by appropriately trained professionals. The manager had knowledge of the MCA 2005 and DoLS legislation and appropriate referrals for DoLS authorisation had been made so that people’s rights would be protected.

The management team provided good leadership and people using the service, relatives and staff told us they were approachable, visible and supportive. We saw that regular audits were carried out by the registered manager to monitor the quality of care.

Care staff received regular supervision and appraisal from their manager. These processes gave staff an opportunity to discuss their performance and identify any further training they required.

The staff in the home organised a range of activities that provided entertainment and stimulation for people living in the home.

The home was kept clean and well maintained.

People’s care plans were up to date and reviewed regularly to ensure that people’s individual needs were met. Staff felt supported by their manager and one care worker told us that they had recently attended training on challenging behaviour. We asked them how they applied their training to their day to day caring role. They told us that when engaging with someone with challenging behaviour, they did things like adopt non-confrontational body language and not raise their voice (which might escalate a situation).

The provider told us that they held quarterly “residents meetings” to gain peoples’ feedback on service improvements. We looked at provider records and saw that one such meeting had recently taken place, attended by approximately ten people using the service. We saw that peoples’ views had been sought on areas such as staff, food and access to GPs; and that feedback had been positive. Where action was needed it had been taken.