Wentworth Residential Home

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 3 February 2021 and was announced.

Updated 23 February 2021

Wentworth Residential Home is a ‘care home’ that provides accommodation for a maximum of 20 adults, of all ages, with a range of health care needs and physical disabilities. At the time of the inspection there were 18 people living at the service. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Wentworth Residential Home provides accommodation over three floors. Some bedrooms are on the ground floor where communal areas are also present. The remaining bedrooms are on the first and second floor which is accessed by chair lifts. Staff continuously monitor people if they remain in their rooms to ensure people’s needs are met at all times. People are able to access a patio and garden area. The home is near to St Austell town centre which people visit.

There was a registered manager in post who was responsible for the day-to-day running of the service. 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. Wentworth Residential Home has been owned by the provider for 38 years and is a family run business. The registered manager is a family relative. and has been in this post for seven years.

We carried out this unannounced inspection on 27 January 2018. At the last inspection, in January 2016, the service was rated Good. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

On the day of the inspection there was a calm, relaxed and friendly atmosphere in the service. We observed that staff interacted with people in a caring and compassionate manner. People who were able to talk to us about their views of the service told us they were happy with the care they received and believed it was a safe environment. Comments from people included, “All the staff are amazing”, “it’s lovely here”, “What I like about this place is you are treated as an equal” and, “You are treated as individuals, not as a crowd, I’m treated as a person.” Relatives we spoke with told us they were “very pleased” with the care that their family members received. Comments included “it’s a happy home, it feels like home.” Staff ensured people kept in touch with family and friends. Relatives told us they were always made welcome and were able to visit at any time.

Where people were unable to tell us about their experiences we observed they were relaxed and at ease with staff. People’s behaviour and body language showed that they felt cared for by staff. Staff said they were proud to work at Wentworth and told us “The people are lovely. It’s lovely here we [staff] work well as a team.”

People were protected from abuse and harm because staff understood their safeguarding responsibilities and were able to assess and mitigate any individual risk to a person’s safety. People said they felt safe at Wentworth, and relatives echoed this view.

The service was warm, comfortable and appeared clean with no unpleasant odours. The service was well maintained by the in house maintenance staff and using contractors as required. Bedrooms were personalised to reflect people’s individual tastes. People were treated with kindness, compassion and respect.

Some people living at Wentworth were living with dementia and were independently mobile around the service. The service had pictorial signage to help people who need additional support recognising areas of the building such as their bedrooms, toilet and shower rooms.

People received care and support that was responsive to their needs because staff were aware of the needs of people who lived at Wentworth. Staff were prompt at recognising if a person’s health needs had changed and sought appropriate medical advice promptly. One person told us “I didn’t feel well the other day, they [staff] asked me lots of questions to see what was up and looked after me well.” Relatives told us the service always kept them informed of any changes to people’s health and when healthcare appointments had been made.

Care plans were well organised and contained personalised information about the individual person’s needs and wishes. Care planning was reviewed regularly and whenever people’s needs changed. People’s care plans gave direction and guidance for staff to follow to help ensure people received their care and support in the way they wanted. Risks in relation to people’s care and support were assessed and planned for to minimise the risk of harm.

People told us they were able to take part in a range of group and individual activities. A programme of activities for the month was on display so that people could decide if they wanted to participate in the group activities. We saw people undertaking individual activities such as reading newspapers, word searches, socialising and watching TV

There were safe arrangements in place for the administration of medicines. People were supported to take their medicines at the right time by staff who had been appropriately trained. Medicines which required stricter controls by law were stored correctly and records kept in line with relevant legislation.

People told us the food was “amazing” and “great.” Staff supported people to maintain a balanced diet in line with their dietary needs and preferences. Where people needed assistance with eating and drinking staff provided support appropriate to meet each individual person’s assessed needs.

Staff were recruited in a safe way. There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff on duty and staffing levels were adjusted to meet people’s changing needs and wishes.

Staff were supported by a system of induction training, one-to-one supervision and appraisals. The induction and on-going training of staff ensured they were effective in their role. Staff knew how to ensure each person was supported as an individual in a way that did not discriminate against them. People’s legal rights were understood and upheld.

Management and some staff had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). However staff demonstrated the principles of the MCA in the way they cared for people. Staff believed that everyone at the service had the right to make their own decisions and respected them. The provider told us currently the people they supported had capacity to make decisions about their health and welfare and this was constantly reviewed. The provider knew the process to follow if a person’s level of capacity changed so that the service would act in accordance with legal requirements.

There was a management structure in the service which provided clear lines of responsibility and accountability. Staff had a positive attitude and the management team provided strong leadership and led by example.

People and relatives all described the management of the home as open and approachable. People and their relatives told us if they had any concerns, or comments about the service that they could approach the provider, manager or staff “without hesitation.” People were asked for their views on the service regularly. There were effective quality assurance systems in place to make sure that any areas for improvement were identified and addressed.