The Boyne Residential Care Home

The Boyne Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 30 people. The service provides support to older and younger adults and people living with the experience of dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 30 people using the service.

People’s experience of the service and what we found

People and their relatives told us people received safe care. The provider had risk assessments and risk mitigation plans in place to help reduce risks and keep people safe. Safe recruitment practices were followed to help ensure suitable people were employed.

Staff received relevant training, so they had the right skills to meet people’s care needs. There were enough staff to provide appropriate support to people. We observed staff were kind and caring when interacting with people.

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.

Care plans included information about individual care needs and people’s preferences. The service supported people to participate in activities and maintain their interests.

People using the service and their relatives told us they knew how to raise concerns with the registered manager. The provider had procedures for managing incidents, accidents, safeguarding alerts and complaints. Quality monitoring processes were in place to help monitor and improve service delivery.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was Good (published 15 December 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow Up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

There were signs in place requesting staff and visitors to adhere to government guidance with respect to PPE. The provider had built a staff room in the garden, staff accessed the building via the garden entrance and changed into their uniform before coming into the home. Staff were observed wearing appropriate PPE during our visit and had received training in its use. Visitors had their temperatures checked on arrival. PPE was supplied to visitors should they need it.

The provider was able to test people and staff for Covid-19 and support them should they test positive for Covid-19. New admissions were supported in line with best practice guidance.

At the last inspection on 23 and 24 November 2015, the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service was Good.

People felt safe living at the service. People were safeguarded from the risk of abuse and staff knew the action to take if they had any concerns. There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs and staff recruitment procedures were followed to ensure only suitable staff were employed. Risks were assessed and plans put in place to minimise them. Infection control procedures were being followed and the service was clean and fresh throughout. Systems and equipment were serviced at the required intervals and were maintained to keep them in good working order. People knew about their medicines and these were being managed safely. The provider was open to learning from incidents to improve practice.

People’s needs and wishes were ascertained before they came to the service and the provider used up to date technology and followed good practice guidance and relevant legislation to drive up standards and practice in the service. Staff training needs were identified, they undertook recognised qualifications in health and social care and received ongoing training to provide them with the skills and knowledge to care for people to a good standard. People’s dietary needs and preferences were identified and met and there was a good variety of meals available, including those to meet people’s religious and cultural needs. People’s healthcare needs were identified and they received the input from healthcare professionals as required.

The provider had followed dementia care good practice guidance to redecorate the service and provide a homely, dementia-friendly environment for people to live in. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People, relatives, and professionals were very happy with the care and support staff provided to people. Choices were offered and met and staff were respectful and maintained people’s privacy and dignity. Staff had a good knowledge of people’s individual care and support needs which they met in a friendly, kind way and there was a happy, homely atmosphere throughout the service. People’s religious and cultural needs were known and respected.

Care records were comprehensive, person centred and reviewed regularly to keep the information up to date. Activities were based on people’s wishes and abilities and people enjoyed taking part. There was a complaints procedure in place and people felt confident to express any concerns, however minor, so they could be addressed. End of life care wishes were discussed and recorded so these were known and could be followed.

The registered manager was approachable and responsive and provided good leadership. They continuously strived to make improvements to the care and support people received and to the environment they lived in. The registered manager followed up to date good practice guidance and legislation as well as obtaining the views of people, relatives, staff and stakeholders about the service provision, which they listened to. The provider empowered people by being proactive and educating them about safeguarding, complaints, medicines management and mental capacity.

The service provided good quality care and met all relevant fundamental standards.

Further information is in the detailed findings in the main body of the report.

We spoke with three staff, which included one of the providers who was also the acting manager and two care workers.

We considered all the evidence we had gathered under the outcome we inspected. We used the information to answer one of the five questions we ask;

' Is the service safe?

' Is the service effective?

' Is the service caring?

' Is the service responsive?

' Is the service well led?

Information relating to staff recruitment helped to answer if the home was safe.

This is a summary of what we found:

Is the service safe?

Recruitment practices were robust and being followed. Staff received induction training and updates to provide them with the skills and knowledge to carry out their work effectively.