Woodboro Residential Care Home

Updated 20 March 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 is 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.

The inspection took place on 01 February 2018. It was undertaken by one inspector and an expert by experience. An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service, including previous inspection reports. We contacted the local authority to obtain their views about the care provided. We considered the information which had been shared with us by the local authority and other people. We also looked at safeguarding notifications which had been submitted. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. We reviewed the Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form in which we ask the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well, and improvements they plan to make.

Whilst most people were able to talk to us, others could not. During our inspection we observed how the staff interacted with people and we spent time observing the support and care provided to help us understand their experiences of living in the service. We observed care and support in the communal areas, the midday meal, and we looked around the service. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

During the inspection we spoke with six people, seven relatives, five staff members, the deputy manager and the manager. We observed the care which was delivered in communal areas to get a view of the care and support provided. We also spoke with one healthcare professional after our inspection.

During the inspection we reviewed the records at the service. These included four staff files which contained staff recruitment, training and supervision records. Also, medicine records, complaints, accidents and incidents, quality audits and policies and procedures along with information in regards to the upkeep of the premises.

We looked at five people's care documentation along with other relevant records to support our findings. We also 'pathway tracked' people living at the service. This is when we looked at their care documentation in depth and obtained information about their care and treatment at the service. It is an important part of our inspection, as it allowed us to capture information about a sample of people receiving care.

Updated 20 March 2018

Woodboro Residential Care Home is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and personal care as a single package under a contractual agreement with the local authority, health authority or the individual, if privately funded. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Woodboro Residential Care Home accommodates a maximum of 22 older people, including people who live with dementia or a dementia related condition, in one residential style building which has been adapted for that purpose. Woodboro Residential Care Home is a large detached house situated in a residential area of Clacton on Sea and is close to all amenities and the local train station. The premises is set out on two floors with each person using the service having their own individual bedroom and adequate communal facilities are available for people to make use of within the service. At the time of our inspection 22 people were using the service.

This service has not yet been formally rated as it was taken over by a new provider in February 2016. At this inspection, which was the first for the service we found the service to be 'Good'.

A registered manager was in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People told us they felt safe living at Woodboro Residential Care Home and with the staff who supported them. Any risks in relation to people's care and support were identified and appropriately managed. Staff knew how to recognise and report the signs of abuse.

On the day of our inspection there was a calm and relaxed atmosphere in the service. We observed people had a good relationship with staff and staff interacted with people in a caring and respectful manner. People were able to take part in activities of their choice.

There were sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff on duty and staffing levels were adjusted to meet people's changing needs and wishes. Staff completed a thorough recruitment process to ensure they had the appropriate skills and knowledge.

Staff had good knowledge of the people they cared for and made appropriate referrals to health care professionals when people needed it. Visitors told us staff always kept them informed if their relative was unwell or if a doctor was called.

Staff supported people to maintain a balanced diet which was appropriate to their dietary needs and preferences. Staff asked people where they wanted to eat their lunch and most people chose to eat in the dining room together in an inclusive atmosphere.

Care records were up to date, had been regularly reviewed, and reflected people's care and support needs. Details of how people wished to be supported were personalised to the individual and provided clear information to enable staff to provide appropriate and effective support.

Staff applied the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) in the way they cared for people and told us they always assumed people had mental capacity. People were assessed in line with the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) as set out in the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA). DoLS provide legal protection for vulnerable people who are, or may become deprived of their liberty. The MCA provides the legal framework to assess people's capacity to make certain decisions, at a certain time. When people are assessed as not having the capacity to make a decision, a best interest decision is made involving people who know the person well and other professionals when appropriate.

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, visitors and healthcare professionals all described the management of the service as open and approachable and thought people received a good service. People and their families were given clear information about how to raise concerns.

There were effective quality assurance systems in place to make sure that any areas for improvement were identified and addressed. Management were visible in the service and regularly observed and talked to people to check if they were happy and safe living at Woodboro Residential Care Home.