Aldyn Care Home

Updated 11 July 2019

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.

Service and service type

Aldyn is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return (PIR). Providers are required to send us key information about their home, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We reviewed notifications sent to the CQC about important events at the home and information sent to us from other stakeholders for example the local authority and members of the public.

What we did during the inspection

We spoke with nine people living at the home, the registered manager and two members of support staff. We pathway tracked the care of three people. Pathway tracking is where we check that the care detailed in individual plans matches the experience of the person receiving care.

We completed observations in communal areas. Where people were unable to answer direct questions, we observed their engagement in daily tasks. We reviewed records including accident and incident logs, quality assurance records, compliments and complaints, policies and procedures and three staff recruitment records.

Updated 11 July 2019

About the service

Aldyn Care Home is a residential care home providing care, rehabilitation and support for up to 12 people living with mental health needs. At the time of the inspection, 10 people were living at the home. The home is two properties joined together with communal lounges, bathrooms and a kitchen.

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

Recruitment procedures were not always robust to ensure staff were of good character before they started working at the service. This is an area of practice that needed improvement.

Staffing levels met people’s needs. Medicines were managed safely for people. Risks to people were identified, assessed and reduced. Staff had a positive approach to managing risk. The home was clean and hygienic.

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. People had good access to health services when required. People’s nutritional needs were known and met. Staff received training to effectively support people living with mental health conditions.

People received support from staff who were kind and caring. One person told us, “We’re like a family really. I think the staff are very good. Always helpful.” People’s dignity was maintained and respected and their independence promoted. People’s communication needs were supported so their views on their support were understood.

People had access to activities that met their interests and they were active in their local community. Staff knew people well and encouraged them to develop their skills. There was a complaints procedure in place which was known by people.

The home was well-led. People and staff spoke positively of the management of the home. There was a friendly and calm atmosphere in the home, Staff told us they felt supported. Quality assurance processes drove improvement to the support people received. The registered manager and staff team were committed to continuous learning.

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 30 May 2018) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. 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.

Follow up

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.