The Riverside Nursing Home

Updated 29 June 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience carried out this inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

The Riverside Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. The Riverside Nursing Home is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who used the service and 4 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff including the registered manager, the nurse, the cook and care staff.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 4 people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at records in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were also reviewed.

Updated 29 June 2023

About the service

The Riverside Nursing Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 28 people. The service provides support to people aged 65 and over and to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 24 people using the service.

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

Medicine recording systems were not robust and the recording of prescribed creams was unclear.

Communal areas were not always supervised by staff. Some people and their relatives told us there was a lack of staff. We have made a recommendation about the provider reviewing their staffing levels across the service.

People and their relatives told us there was a lack of activities and stimulation for people accessing the service. We have made a recommendation about the provider reviewing their provisions to keep people accessing the service stimulated.

Auditing systems were not robust and governance systems required improvement.

Recruitment checks were robust to ensure staff were suitable to work with vulnerable adults. People were protected from the risks of abuse and staff were trusted to keep them safe. Staff had received training in safeguarding people.

People's care needs were risk assessed and care plans provided staff with the information they needed to manage the identified risk. Accidents and incidents were recorded and monitored. We were assured that the provider was preventing visitors from catching and spreading infections.

Staff had received an induction when they first started working at the service and training relevant to their roles had been provided. Staff had regular training and opportunities for supervision.

Good practice was observed during the lunchtime meal. People told us meals were of a very good standard and they enjoyed the food. 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.

The registered manager and staff worked with other agencies and professionals to ensure people received the appropriate care.

Person-centred care was promoted. The registered manager and staff demonstrated a commitment to people, and they displayed person-centred values. The service worked in partnership with other health and social care organisations to achieve better outcomes for people using the service.

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 28 August 2019).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the food provisions people received, the level of care and the provider’s recruitment processes. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. However, we have found areas that needed improvement in relation to record keeping and auditing functions.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified a breach in relation to maintaining accurate records and operating robust auditing systems. We have made recommendations about the provider reviewing their provisions to keep people accessing the service stimulated and about the provider reviewing their staffing levels across the service.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.