Alpine Villa Care Home

Updated 31 October 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 undertaken 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.

Service and service type

Alpine Villa 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 service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

The first day of this inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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 this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of staff, the registered manager and the provider.

We reviewed a range of records. This included people’s care records and medicine administration records. We looked at staff files in relation to recruitment and training and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We contacted six health and social care professionals to gain their feedback about the service. One health and social care professional responded as a representative, after consulting with their team.

Updated 31 October 2019

Alpine Villa Care Home is a care home providing personal care to people living with dementia. The service can support up to 15 people over the age of 55 years. At the time of the inspection there were 13 people living at the home.

Alpine Villa Care Home had accommodation on the ground and first floor. There was a communal lounge and dining area, a conservatory, and assisted bathrooms. People needed to be physically able to use the stairs as there was no passenger lift.

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

All areas of the home, including those less visible, were clean. However, the conservatory which adjoined the lounge and integral dining room, had been made into a smoking room to accommodate one person’s needs. This had negatively impacted on others. During the inspection, some areas of the home were cold. One person raised this as a concern. The heating was adjusted once this was brought to staff’s attention.

We made a recommendation to ensure the temperature of the home and smoking arrangements were reviewed and monitored, to ensure people were comfortable in all areas.

People felt safe and relatives had no concerns about safety. Potential risks had been identified and action taken to mitigate them. Staff had undertaken safeguarding training and were aware of their responsibilities to identify and report potential abuse.

Medicines were safely managed. Information showed when staff should administer medicines that were prescribed as required. This included interventions to be tried before giving as required medicine.

There were enough staff to support people and staff knew people well. Staff enjoyed their work and were well supported. The registered manager gave emphasis to learning and staff received a range of training to help them meet people’s needs effectively.

People were fully assessed before being offered a service. A full review of the person’s health and prescribed medicines took place, once the person began living at the home. Further assessments took place on a regular basis.

People received support that was tailored to their needs. Each person had a detailed care plan in place. The information reflected people’s needs and preferences, and there were clear strategies to support people with any anxieties they might have. This minimised the risk of any escalation.

People were offered a range of opportunities to meet their social needs. This included going into town and group activities such as baking. People had a social activity plan in place which had had been creatively developed using pictures and photographs.

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.

There was a caring ethos which promoted a relaxed, family atmosphere. People’s rights to privacy, dignity and independence were promoted.

The registered manager showed a passion for providing person centred care. They were enthusiastic and demonstrated ongoing development. A range of audits were in place to monitor the quality of the service.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

This was the service’s first inspection following a change in legal entity.

Why we inspected

This was a planned comprehensive inspection.

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.