Archived: St Catherine Care Home

Updated 25 August 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 was 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 3, 5 and 16 June 2015 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of an inspection manager, one inspector and an expert by experience in people living with dementia. 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 the inspection, we reviewed information we held about the home including previous inspection reports and notifications. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

We spoke with seven people living at the home, and two family members. We also spoke with the registered manager, a senior representative of the provider and three care staff. We looked at care plans and associated records for three people, staff duty records, three recruitment files, accidents and incidents, policies and procedures and quality assurance records. We observed care and support being delivered in communal areas. 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 to us. We also received feedback from a general practitioner and a social worker.

Following the inspection, we spoke with five social care professionals who have regular contact with the home to obtain their views about the home.

We last inspected the home in November 2013 and found no concerns.

Updated 25 August 2015

This Inspection took place on 3, 5 and 16 June 2015 and was unannounced. St Catherine Care Home provides accommodation and care for up to 14 older people with mental health needs or people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 11 people living at the home.

The home had a registered manager who had been registered since December 2012. 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.’

We found people’s safety was compromised in some areas. Infection control practices were not always adhered to. The handrail in the downstairs bathroom was rusty, flooring was badly stained in some areas, and some rooms were in need of redecoration. This presented a potential infection control risk to people.

People were supported to receive their medicines safely from suitably trained staff. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Relent checks were conducted before staff started working at St Catherine’s to make sure staff were of good character and had the necessary skills to look after people safely. Staff received regular supervision and support where they could discuss their training and development needs.

People felt safe. There were systems in place to ensure the risks to people’s safety and wellbeing were identified and addressed. Staff had received training in safeguarding adults and knew how to identify, prevent and report abuse.

People had positive relations with the staff and were confident in the home. People who used the service spoke positively about the care they received and told us their needs were met. Care plans were personalised and provided comprehensive information about how people wished to receive care and support. This helped ensure people received personalised care in a way that met individual needs.

Staff sought consent from people before providing care or support. The ability of people to make decisions was assessed in line with legal requirements to ensure their liberty was not restricted unlawfully. Decisions were taken in the best interests of people. Staff showed a understanding of this legislation.

People received appropriate support to eat and drink and were offered a choice of nutritious meals. Staff were aware of people’s likes and dislikes and offered alternatives if people did not want the menu of the day.

People were cared for with kindness, compassion and sensitivity. Staff members knew about people’s lives and backgrounds and used this information to support them effectively.

People were supported by health professionals and staff knew how to access specialist services for people. People told us that they knew the person well and were aware of their needs.

People liked living at the home and felt it was well-led. Quality systems were not always effective in driving improvements within the home; actions that were outstanding were not followed up. There was an open and transparent culture at the home. There were appropriate management arrangements in place. Staff and people were encouraged to talk to the manager about any concerns.

The home did not support people living with dementia to navigate their way around the home. We have made a recommendation about creating suitable environments that support people living with dementia.