Archived: Kevlin House

Updated 5 March 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection 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.

This inspection took place on 08 January 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out by one inspector.

Prior to our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included information we had received such as, the action plan of improvements the provider had said they would make, and any statutory notifications that had been sent to us. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send to us by law.

On the day we visited the service, we spoke with four people living at the service, three relatives and three staff. We spoke with the cook and the registered provider, who was also the manager and oversaw the overall management of the service. We also observed how care and support was provided to people. To do this, 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 looked at four people’s care plans, three staff recruitment files, two staff supervision files, three staff training records, records relating to the maintenance of the premises and equipment, four medication records and records relating to how the service monitored staffing levels and the quality of the service. After the inspection we telephoned two relatives and a social care professional for their feedback on the service.

Updated 5 March 2015

This inspection took place on 08 January 2015 and was unannounced.

Kevlin House is a residential care home that provides accommodation, care and support for up to 14 older people, some of who are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, there were 13 people living at Kevlin House. The registered provider is also the manager of the service and they have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

At the last inspection on 05 September 2014, we found that there were several breaches of Regulations. We asked the provider to take action to make improvements in the way people were assisted to give their consent to the care they received and how they were consulted and involved in planning and reviewing their care. We also asked for improvements to be made in the training staff completed, the maintenance of the premises, the infection control procedures carried out at the service and the way people and staff were able to give their views about the quality of service provided. The provider sent us an action plan that told us they would be compliant with the relevant legal requirements by 01 January 2015. This action has been completed and improvements had been made.

People felt that their needs were met by staff who were kind and caring and that this made them feel safe living at the home. Staff treated people with respect and used a friendly and thoughtful approach when talking with and assisting them. People said they could speak to the provider and staff if they were worried about anything.

Staff had completed training and knew how to make sure that people were safe and protected from abuse. The training provided for staff was appropriate to their role and helped them to develop the skills and knowledge they needed to provide support to the people they cared for.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards which applies to all care services. Policies and procedures were in place and we saw that staff had completed this training. People had been assessed in respect of their capacity to make decisions for themselves and the deputy manager had liaised with the supervisory body about making applications when people were at risk of having their liberty restricted or deprived.

People were encouraged to maintain their independence and had access to healthcare professionals when they became unwell or required specialist medical help. Their needs were met and they and/or their relative were consulted and involved in regular discussions about the care and support they required and received.

Medicines were available for people to take when they needed them, had been accurately recorded when administered and were stored securely.

The management team were supportive and included staff in discussions when changes in care practice were needed. Concerns were listened to and were dealt with and resolved as quickly as possible.

People had been given the opportunity to raise their concerns and influence how the service was run. Suggested improvements were listened to and acted upon, when possible, by the provider. To make sure that the home was well run and people received the care and support they needed regular checks were made on the way staff worked, the records held and the maintenance of the premises.