This inspection visit took place on 24 and 26 July 2017 and was unannounced on the first day. At the last inspection on 05 May 2015 the service was meeting legal requirements of the regulations.
Mayfair Residential Care Home Limited is registered to provide accommodation for up to 45 older people who require 24-hour care. The home is situated on Morecambe promenade, close to local amenities and overlooks Morecambe Bay. The majority of bedrooms have en-suite facilities. The are several communal areas, including a large dining room, sun lounge and quiet lounge. The provider operates CCTV in communal areas of the home. At the time of our inspection 37 people lived at the home.
There was a registered manager in place. 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.
Staff had received training to administer medicines, however no checks on their competency had been undertaken. We observed staff left the medicines trolley unattended whilst administering people’s medicines. The provider did not have formal systems to assess the competency of staff who administered medicines. This was in breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – Safe care and treatment.
We found the provider had not ensured valid consent was gained before care and support was provided to people. Assessments of people’s capacity to make decisions had not been properly assessed. This was in breach of Regulation 11 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – Need for consent.
We found people’s liberty was restricted because they lacked insight into keeping themselves safe outside of the home. However, the provider had not followed proper procedures in order to apply these restrictions in accordance with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This was in breach of Regulation 13 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – Safeguarding service users from abuse and improper treatment.
The provider’s systems to assess, monitor and improve the quality of the service provided had not been effective in identifying and addressing the issues highlighted during our inspection. This was in breach of Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 – Good Governance.
People told us they received personalised care that was responsive to their needs. However, we found people’s involvement in care planning was not always recorded. Although staff knew important details about people, these were not always recorded. We have made a recommendation about this.
The provider used external companies to carry out quality assurance on various aspects of the service provided. However, they had not identified the issues raised above. We have made a recommendation about this.
Relevant checks had been made before two new staff members commenced their employment. These included Disclosure and Barring Service checks (DBS), and references. This helped to ensure only suitable candidates were employed to work with people who may be vulnerable. However, there were occasions where the registered manager was unable to obtain references, or convictions were recorded on DBS checks. There were no related risk assessments available for review. We have made a recommendation about this.
The home was well maintained and generally clean and tidy. However, we found some equipment had not been cleaned properly. We raised this with the registered manager who addressed this during our inspection.
The provider had an ongoing programme of refurbishment for the home to ensure the premises continued to meet the needs of people who lived at the home and it was a comfortable and safe place for people to live.
Policies and procedures were in place and staff had received training in order to safeguard people who may be vulnerable. We found the provider recorded and managed accidents and incidents appropriately.
We found staffing levels and skill mix were appropriate in order for people’s needs to be met safely and in a timely manner.
People were supported by staff who had the right competencies, knowledge, qualifications and skills. Staff received regular supervision and were supported to undertake their role.
People’s ongoing healthcare needs were monitored and met. Good communication protocols were in place between the service and healthcare professionals.
People who lived at the home, and relatives and friends who were visiting, were complimentary about the staff team and how caring the service was.
The home supported people who required care toward the end of their lives. People’s end of life wishes had been recorded so staff were aware of these and could support the person appropriately.
The service provided a range of activities in order to promote people’s social health. People could choose how they spent their time.
The provider had a complaints policy. People told us they were confident any complaints would be dealt with appropriately.
Staff had clear roles and responsibilities. Staff told us they were well supported by the management team.
You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.