Archived: Castleman House

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.

Castleman House is registered to provide residential care for up to 48 older people. There were 42 people living in the home at the time of our visit, some of whom were living with dementia as well as other conditions such as a brain injury and on going mental health needs. The home was organised into five areas known within the home as cottages. Each cottage had a communal area with a small kitchen. There was also a large communal area used when people got together for events or large group activities.

There was a registered manager in post. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People felt safe and well cared for. They were protected from harm because staff understood how to reduce the risks people faced. They also knew how to identify and respond to abuse and said they would be confident to do so.

People had support and care when they needed it from staff who had been safely recruited and understood their needs. Staff were consistent in their knowledge of people’s care needs and spoke confidently about the support people needed to meet these needs. They told us they felt supported in their roles and had taken training that provided them with the necessary knowledge and skills.

People told us they saw health care professionals when necessary. Records and feedback from a healthcare professional reflected that staff responded appropriately to both on going healthcare needs and health emergencies. People received their medicines as they were prescribed.

Staff understood how people consented to the care they provided and encouraged people to make decisions about their lives. Care plans and practice reflected the framework of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards had been applied for when people needed to live in the home to be cared for safely but did not have the mental capacity to consent to this.

People were able to take part in activities that reflected their preferences, including individual and group activities. Activities and events were planned by people and staff.

Everyone described the food as good and there were systems in place to ensure people had enough to eat and drink. When people needed particular diets or support to eat and drink safely this was in place and care was taken to ensure that this food was appetising.

Quality assurance had led to improvements being made and people, visitors and staff were invited to contribute their views to this process. Staff, relatives and people spoke positively about the management and staff team as a whole.

People were positive about the care and kindness they received from the staff of Castleman House. Staff were cheerful and treated people and visitors with respect and kindness throughout our inspection.