- Care home
Heaton House Care Home
Report from 6 February 2024 assessment
Contents
Ratings
Our view of the service
Heaton House is a residential care home, without nursing care, providing accommodation for people who require nursing or personal care to up to a maximum of 21 older people. At the time of our on-site assessment there were 18 people using the service. We carried out our on-site assessment activity on 6 and 11 March 2024. We assessed 11 quality statements. We carried out this assessment in response to continued risks about the safety of the environment, to check the provider had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. At the last inspection we identified breaches of regulations in relation to safe care and treatment, premises and equipment and good governance. We issued warning notice's against the breaches relating to safe care and treatment and good governance. We issued a requirement notice against the breach relating to premises and equipment. We made recommendations regarding reviewing people's risk assessments, embedding a programme of activities, reviewing safeguarding procedures and the duty of candour. At this on-site assessment sufficient improvements had not been made. We identified continued breaches of regulations regarding medicines management, person-centred care, premises and equipment, good governance, staffing and fit and proper persons employed. People did not always receive person-centred care, which was appropriate, met their needs and reflected personal preferences. Medicines were not always managed safely; accurate and up to date record keeping was not being maintained The premises and equipment were not safe, and not properly and effectively maintained, which placed people at risk of harm. The provider failed to operate effective systems to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service, and ensure records were up to date and completed accurately. Limited improvements had been made regarding staff training and staff were not always recruited safely.
People's experience of this service
People told us they felt safe living at Heaton House, largely as a result of the staff who supported them. We observed people's requests were met in an acceptable level of time and staff were helpful and caring. People spoke highly of the staff and felt they received a good standard of care. One person said, "Oh it’s safe alright living here, the carers do what you ask them to do." One relative had raised a number of issues linked to safe care and the environment. Medicines had been found in one person's dressing gown by a relative who had reported this to the provider, however, there was no clear risk assessment in place to prevent a reoccurrence; there were no protocols for one medicine for another person and no risk assessments for flammable creams. Thickeners for people's drinks were not always recorded. The views and opinions of people and their relatives were not being sought regularly or consistently. Since June 2023, only 1 meeting had been held, which was attended by 2 relatives. Staff could not identify how people had been involved in making decisions about their place of residence or the quality of care provided. There was no programme of weekly activities for people to choose and activities were limited. A lack of engagement in meaningful activities can result in both physical and cognitive decline, as well as impacting on a person’s mood, mental health, and quality of life. Information was not provided to people in different formats to meet any disability or sensory loss needs. There was no equality and diversity policy to ensure the protected characteristics of people living at the home were respected and supported. People were at risk falling from uneven floor surfaces, raised door thresholds and loose cables. One person told us they has fallen overdoor thresholds and sustained injuries. We identified continued issues with unsafe fire doors, which would affect people's safety the event of a fire. Other health and safety checks had not been completed.