Robert Harvey House

Updated 23 February 2021

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 CQC’s response to the coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 04 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 23 February 2021

This was an unannounced inspection visit which took place on 22 and 26 June 2017. We last inspected this service on 01 and 02 December 2014 where the service was meeting all the regulations.

Robert Harvey House currently provides nursing care and support for a maximum of 52 people who live with dementia, physical disability, alcohol/drug dependency or mental health conditions. At the time of our inspection 46 people were living at the home. Accommodation is provided over two floors. There are lounges, rest spaces, dining areas and a themed room. Every bedroom was bright and spacious with en-suite facilities.

There was a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

During this the inspection, we found the provider had thoughtfully designed the building with excellent facilities and staff demonstrated strong values that promoted person centred care. We corroborated this when we toured the building and talked with people and relatives.

People who lived at the home were kept safe. Staff were trained to identify signs of abuse and supported by the provider’s processes to keep people safe. Potential risks to people had been identified and appropriate measures had been put in place to reduce the risk of harm. People were supported by sufficient numbers of suitable staff that had been recruited safely. People received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff worked within a highly trained team and were given the time to support people. This ensured people received care and support from staff that had effective skills to consistently meet people’s needs. Staff received regular supervision and appraisals, providing them with appropriate support to carry out their roles. We saw staff treated people as individuals, offering them choices whenever they engaged with people. Staff sought people's consent for care and treatment and ensured people were supported to make as many decisions as possible. Where people lacked the mental capacity to make informed decisions about their care, relatives, friends and relevant professionals were involved in best interest's decision making. Therefore, the provider had acted in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Food standards were to a very high level. When we discussed the quality of meals with people and their relatives, they said food was of a very high quality. The kitchen staff ensured there were effective processes in place to support people with their nutritional needs. People spoke positively about the choice of food available. Staff supported people who were living with dementia to eat and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing in a caring and sensitive way. People were supported to access health care professionals to ensure that their health care needs would be continuously met.

People and relatives told us that staff were kind, caring and friendly and treated people with dignity and respect. The atmosphere around the home was tranquil, warm and welcoming. People were relaxed and staff supported people in a dignified way. People and relatives told us they were well supported by staff and the management team and encouraged to maintain relationships that were important to people. People’s health care needs were assessed and regularly reviewed. Relatives told us the management team were good at keeping them informed about their family member’s care. People were supported by a dedicated activities team that provided excellent opportunities to optimise people’s social and stimulation requirements. People and their relatives told us they were confident that if they had any concerns or complaints they would be listened to and matters addressed quickly.

The management team had a number of systems to gain feedback from people living at the home, relatives and visitors. This included resident/relative meetings, satisfaction questionnaires, regular reviews and a suggestion box. People, their relatives, staff and visiting professionals told us the home was well organised and ‘exceptionally’ well-led. We saw that the management of the service was stable and that the registered manager and care manager carried out regular audits. The provider had established management systems to assess and monitor the quality of the service provided.