Southlands Residential Care Home

Updated 1 May 2018

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 was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This comprehensive inspection took place on 9 April 2018 and was unannounced. One adult social care inspector and an expert by experience carried out this inspection. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using services or caring for a person who uses services. In this case the expert by experience had experience in caring for older people and those living with dementia.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. Before our inspection, we reviewed the information in the PIR along with information we held about the home, which included incident notifications they had sent us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to tell us about by law. We also contacted the community nursing service as well as Devon County Council’s Quality Assurance and Improvement Team to gain their feedback about the quality of the care and support provided to people.

During our visit we spoke with the provider, registered manager, 16 people who lived at the home, two relatives, three staff and one health care professional. We looked at a number of records relating to individual care and the running of the home. These included three people’s care and support plans, two staff personal files and records relating to staff training, medication administration and the quality monitoring of the service.

Updated 1 May 2018

Southlands Residential Care Home is a residential care home for 33 younger and older people who required nursing or personal care due to a physical or sensory disability, or due to poor health. Nursing services are provided by the community nursing team. Accommodation is provided over three floors, with two passenger lifts providing access to the upper floor. The home has two lounge rooms and spacious dining and conservatory areas. A large decked patio from the conservatory provides a very pleasant area to sit overlooking the attractive gardens. There were 32 people living at the home at the time of the inspection.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good.

The home continued to be well managed. People spoke fondly and positivity about the provider and registered manager. One person said of the provider, “He makes sure he talks to us all and he knows a lot about us” and the registered manager was described as “excellent.”.

People received safe care from sufficient numbers of well trained staff. People were protected from the risk of abuse as staff recruitment practices were safe and staff had received training in the protection of adults. Other risks to people’s health, safety and welfare, such as the risk of falls or not eating or drinking well, were assessed and care plans provided guidance for staff about how to mitigate these risks. Medicines were managed safety and people’s healthcare needs were monitored and guidance sought from healthcare professionals, such as the community nurses, when necessary.

People were supported to make decisions about their care and to have maximum choice and control of their lives. People's rights were respected and protected. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the home supported this practice. The provider and registered manager said promoting people’s independence was an important feature of the home.

Staff were described as kind and caring and people told us they felt very well cared for. One person said, “As soon as I walked into this one I knew it was the place for me.” Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home and were proud to do so. They said they wanted the home to feel like a ‘real home’ for people and for people to be “as comfortable and as happy as possible.”

An activity co-ordinator ensured people had the opportunity to become involved in leisure and social activities. People’s hobbies and interests were well known and people were invited to plan events both in and out of the home. People told us how much they enjoyed these.

The environment and equipment were well maintained. Regular checks and servicing ensured equipment remained safe to use. Since the previous inspection, the provider had invested in the extensive refurbishment of the home. New bedrooms had been created; other rooms increased in size or had en-suite facilities fitted. All areas of the home had been completely redecorated and fitted with new flooring, furniture and soft furnishings which people had been involved in choosing.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.