Archived: Harnham Croft Care Home

The provider sent us an action plan which confirmed they had taken action in relation to the areas we identified.

During this inspection, we saw improvements had been made. There were positive interactions between staff and people who used the service. Staff were respectful, caring and attentive.

Various staff training sessions had been held to enhance awareness of dignity and what this meant to people. Experiential learning was used which assisted staff in reflecting on their values and practice.

Adjustments had been made to enable meal times to be pleasurable experiences rather than just a task of eating. People who required assistance to eat were allocated specific staff to help them. This meant people received focused attention without interruption.

People and their visitors were complimentary about the staff team and the changes being made within the home. Monthly meetings had been introduced to share information and to enable people to give their views more readily.

Staffing shortages were being robustly addressed. Eight new staff had been recruited and a new hostess role had been introduced. Less agency staff were being used which enabled people greater consistency with their care.

People were comfortable and looked well cared for. They were happy with the care they received. Each person had a detailed, well written plan of care which identified how their health and personal care needs were being met. Care charts were fully completed and demonstrated the support people received.

People told us staff promoted their privacy and dignity although not all interactions reflected this view. At lunchtime, staff did not engage with people well. They did not give some people assistance to eat in a dignified and individualised manner.

Staff received a range of training opportunities which enabled them to do their job effectively. Staff felt well supported and a new system of formal staff supervision had been implemented.

People and their visitors liked the staff and there were positive comments about the new manager and the management team. However, current staffing shortages negatively impacted upon the service people received. Call bells were not being answered promptly and some people needed to wait for the assistance they required.

There was a clear quality auditing system in place. People were encouraged to raise their views through individual discussion or 'resident's meetings.' Regular audits were taking place. Attention was being given to improving staffing levels and enabling people greater choice within their daily lives. There was a commitment to further develop the service people received.