St Mary's Continuing Care

St Mary's Continuing Care is a purpose built ‘care home’ and is located in the residential area of Collins Green, Burtonwood in Warrington; the home is divided into four separate units and provides nursing and personal care for up to 63 people with acquired brain injury, early onset dementia, mental health support needs and older people living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 63 people were living at St Mary’s.

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

People received high-quality, person-centred care. The quality and safety of care people received was monitored, assessed and (where needed) improved upon.

Medicine management procedures were safely in place. We did note that some areas of practice did not comply with the providers medication administration policy. We have made a recommendation regarding this.

People’s level of risk was assessed and managed from the outset. Support measures were put in place, areas of risk were monitored, and regular reviews meant that people were receiving the most up to date and relevant care.

Care records were person-centred and provided staff with information in relation to people’s likes, dislikes, wishes and preferences. Staff told us they were able to develop positive relationships with the people they supported.

Safeguarding procedures were in place and staff told us how and when they would raise their concerns. People who lived at St Mary’s told us they felt safe.

Staffing levels were analysed and reviewed in relation to the dependency needs of people who were living at St Mary’s. Staff had also been safely recruited.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

We observed kind, considerate and compassionate interactions between staff and people receiving support. People and relatives told us that the care provided was tailored around individual support needs.

People were supported to participate in activities that were engaging, stimulating and were having a positive impact on their health and well-being.

The provider had an up to date complaints policy in place. Complaints were regularly monitored and reviewed and responded to in line with company policy.

The registered manager maintained a good level of oversight in relation to ‘governance’ and quality assurance processes. Processes and systems ensured that the quality and safety of care was routinely being assessed and reviewed.

St Mary’s offered a warm, friendly and inviting atmosphere, each of the units were tailored to the support needs of the people living there; although we did recognise one unit required some attention.

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’. (Report published 7 December 2016). At this inspection, the rating remained ‘good’.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on previous ratings.

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.

This was the first inspection since the registered provider changed in 2014.

The service had a registered manager. 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At the time of our inspection there were 63 people using the service.

People were supported by caring, friendly and respectful staff. The people using the service and their relatives told us that the quality of care and support was excellent. They told us the staff were very kind and caring and treated everyone with respect. Comments included, “I am happy here, staff treat me well” and “It’s like one big happy family, it’s a wonderful place with wonderful staff”.

People told us they felt safe and supported. Risks to people’s safety and wellbeing had been assessed and information about how to manage risks was recorded in their plan of care. There were systems in place to safeguard people from risk of possible harm. The provider had effective recruitment processes in place and there were sufficient staff to support people safely.

Staff received regular supervision and they had been trained to meet people’s individual needs. They understood their roles and responsibilities to seek people’s consent prior to care being provided. Where people did not have capacity to consent to their care or make decisions about some aspects of their care, this was managed in line with the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA).

People’s needs had been assessed and care plans took account of their individual needs, preferences and choices. They were involved wherever possible in reviewing their care plans and were supported to pursue their hobbies and interests.

The registered manager had a formal process for handling complaints and concerns. She encouraged feedback from people who used the service, their relatives and other professionals and acted on the comments received to improve the quality of the service.

The registered manager’s quality monitoring processes had been used most effectively to drive continuous improvement. She provided stable leadership and effective support to staff. The atmosphere in the home was of calm and comfort and we saw a caring culture had been developed within the service.