Exmouth House

Updated 16 March 2022

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 COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 28 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours' notice of the inspection.

Updated 16 March 2022

About the service

Exmouth House is a care home providing personal care for up to 31 older people. At the time of the inspection there were 30 people living at the home.

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

Exmouth House had a strong and visible person-centred culture which ensured that staff in all roles were highly motivated and offered care and support that was exceptionally compassionate and kind. The ethos of the home made care and compassion every staff member's business. Everyone, without exception, spoke of the commendable kindness, compassion and understanding shown by staff. The provider and management team put people at the centre of everything they did. People were valued and respected as individuals allowing them to be partners in their care. There was an exceptionally strong ethos within the service of treating people with dignity and respect. People were at the forefront of the service delivery and the provider was committed to and passionate about providing a high-quality service.

We received exceptionally positive feedback from all people and relatives. The feedback reflected staff were very kind, caring and committed. People complimented the continuity of care provided by regular staff which contributed to the building of meaningful relationships. Staff exceeded in recognising what was important to people and ensured individually tailored approach that met people's personal needs, wishes and preferences was delivered. There was evidence the staff often went 'the extra mile' to meet people's needs. People, relatives and professionals, without exception said they had and would definitely recommend Exmouth House to families and friends.

Staff used innovative and individual ways of involving people and others in their care. The care and support plans were reviewed and changed as people's needs changed. This included reasonable adjustments which were used to encourage independence.

The service ensured arrangements for social activities met people's individual needs and followed best practice guidance, so people could live as full a life as possible. The service had found out what people had done in the past and evaluated whether it could accommodate activities and made them happen.

The service worked closely with healthcare professionals and provided excellent end of life care. People experienced a comfortable, dignified and pain-free death. We saw feedback from relatives following end of life care was commendable. Staff had the specific skills to understand and meet the needs of people and their families in relation to emotional support and the practical assistance they needed at the end of the person's life. Records showed staff had attended end of life care training. Staff told us they were supported by the management team with empathy and understanding.

The provider's vision and values put people at the heart of the service. These were centred around people having a sense of purpose and of belonging, to live well, and to find enjoyment. This was supported by ensuring people had choice on how they wanted to spend their time and with whom. They were developed with people and staff in meaningful and creative ways and were owned by everyone. The registered manager provided supportive leadership and had developed a dedicated staff team who were committed to the vision and values of the service. The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place which were used to drive improvement.

People living at Exmouth House told us they received safe care from skilled and knowledgeable staff. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place. Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

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. People were supported to maintain good health and to meet their nutritional needs.

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was Good (published 28 July 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our reinspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk