Silver Oaks Residential Care Home

Updated 22 June 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 checked 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 24 April 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection was carried out 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.

Before our inspection we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications of incidents that the provider has sent us since our last inspection. A notification is information about important events and incidents within the service which the provider is required to send us by law. We also spoke with commissioners, responsible for funding some of the people using the service, to gain their view of the care provided.

The provider had not been sent a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is information we ask providers to complete to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We gave the registered manager the opportunity to provide this information during the inspection.

During our inspection we spoke with nine people who used the service and two visitors. We also spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, four care staff, the activities co-ordinator and the cook. We observed care and support provided in communal areas and the lunchtime meal. This helped us to evaluate the quality of interactions and support that took place between people and staff.

We reviewed information including care plans and records for three people, medicine records, three staff recruitment and training records, records relating to the day-to-day management of the service and the provider's audits and quality management systems.

Updated 22 June 2018

This inspection took place on 24 April 2018 and was unannounced.

Silver Oaks Residential Care Home 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 home provides single bedrooms for up to 19 older people over two floors, accessed by stair lifts. At the time of our inspection there were 19 people using the service, some of whom were living with dementia.

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.

At our last inspection in November 2015, we rated the service overall as good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good. There was no evidence or information from our inspection and on-going monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

People remained safe using the service. Staff had been trained in safeguarding people and understood how to assess, monitor and manage the risks people faced. People were protected by safe recruitment procedures to help ensure staff were suitable to work in care services. There were enough staff to meet people's needs.

The provider had made improvements to ensure people's medicines were managed safely. Medicines were stored, given to people as prescribed and records managed safely. Staff received medicines training and understood the importance of safe administration and management of medicines.

People continued to receive care from staff who had the skills and knowledge required to effectively support them. Staff completed a range of training relevant to the needs of people using the service and were supported to undertake further development training to enhance their skills and knowledge in areas of interest.

People's human rights were protected because the registered manager and staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and their responsibilities within the legislation. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive way.

People's health and well-being needs were assessed and met by staff who responded effectively to people's changing needs. The service worked closely with health and other professionals to ensure they met people's health and well-being needs. People were supported to have good nutrition.

People continued to receive a service that was caring. Staff showed kindness, patience and compassion for people through their conversations and interactions. Staff supported people to communicate in the way they preferred. Staff enabled people to maintain their independence as much as possible. People's privacy and dignity were promoted at all times.

The service remained responsive to people's individual needs and provided personalised care and support. People were able to make choices about their day to day lives, including how they spent their time. The provider had a complaints policy in place and records confirmed any complaints received were fully investigated and responded to.

People received good care from a well-led service. People used a service where the provider's person-centred values were embedded into the leadership and governance, management, staff working practices and culture of the service. The registered manager was experienced and took the time to listen and responded to people, staff and others.

The provider had systems in place to monitor, assess and improve the service. There was an open, transparent culture. Staff were positive and happy as a team and in their roles. People, staff and others were supported to share their views and these were used to drive improvements within the service.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.