Background to this inspection
Updated
3 September 2019
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 Care Act 2014.
Inspection team
The inspection was carried out by two inspectors on the first day and one inspector on day two.
Service and service type
Castleman House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service did not have a manager registered with the CQC. A registered manager and a provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection a new home manager had been in post for two weeks and had started the application process to register as manager.
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. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.
During the inspection
We spoke with seven people who used the service and three relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 17 members of staff including the home manager, operations manager, senior and regular care workers, housekeepers and the cook. We spoke with three health and social care professionals and a volunteer.
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.
We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care records and multiple medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.
After the inspection
We spoke with two more relatives and another healthcare professional by telephone. We considered their feedback when making the judgements in this report.
Updated
3 September 2019
About the service
Castleman House is a purpose-built residential home registered to provide care for up to 48 older people. At the time of our inspection there were 41 people living there, some of whom were living with dementia. People lived within five areas, known within the home as cottages. Each cottage had a communal area with a small kitchen. There was a large communal area used when people got together for events or large group activities.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People felt safe living at Castleman House. Staff understood how to keep people safe from harm or abuse and knew how to raise concerns if they were to witness poor or abusive practice. Staff were confident they would be listened to by the management and appropriate action taken.
People were supported by staff who got on well and worked as a team to understand and meet people’s needs and preferences. People’s desired outcomes were known, and the staff team worked alongside people, relevant health and social care professionals and their relatives to support them to achieve these.
People and relatives commented positively about the skills and competence of staff at the home. Staff received mandatory and additional training to help them meet people’s diverse needs with confidence.
People told us the staff were kind, caring and responded in a timely way to their needs. People could live their day how they chose. If people preferred to spend some time alone this was respected.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People had the opportunity to participate in a range of group and 1:1 activities which were tailored to their interests and abilities. Relatives and friends were welcomed and encouraged to remain involved in the day to day lives of their family members.
People, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals were encouraged to express their views about the care and influence what happened at the home via annual surveys.
The home had developed partnerships with other agencies to support people to stay well and prevent unnecessary hospital admissions.
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 (published 10 March 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 re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.