Riverside View Care Home

Updated 29 November 2023

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection, we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors (one of whom is a pharmacist) 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

Riverside View is a ‘care home.’ People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Riverside View is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with the deputy manager, regional manager, a consultant appointed by the provider, 2 senior care assistants, 4 care assistants, the wellbeing lead, 2 domestic staff, the maintenance officer, 1 administrator and 1 cook. We also spoke with the nominated individual via telephone. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We spoke with a social care professional and a health care professional during our inspection.

We spoke with 12 people and 6 relatives. We also requested feedback from relatives via email and received 4 responses. We reviewed records relating to people's care including medicine records for 22 people and care plans for 4 people. We also reviewed records relating to staff recruitment and the management of the service.

Updated 29 November 2023

About the service

Riverside View Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 59 people. The service provides support to older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 34 people using the service.

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

Medicines were not always managed safely and effectively. We could not be sure that people received their topical medicines or patches as prescribed, guidance for staff on how to administer ‘when required’ medicines lacked detail, and records relating to the administration of ‘when required’ medicines and prescribed thickeners for drinks were not always complete.

The provider did not have a consistently robust governance system in place. Medicines audits had not identified the areas for improvement we found during this inspection. The management team were responsive to our feedback during the inspection and took immediate action to address issues raised.

A registered manager was not in post. The deputy manager had been managing the home recently, with support from the provider’s regional manager and a consultant appointed by the provider. Since the inspection, the provider advised us that a new manager had been appointed and they would be applying to the Care Quality Commission to become the registered manager in due course.

People told us they felt safe living at Riverside View Care Home and they were happy with the care they received. The home was clean and tidy. There were mostly appropriate infection control practices in place, although we saw a small minority of care staff were not ‘bare below the elbow’ (which is good practice for effective infection prevention and control).

Staff were aware of safeguarding arrangements and knew what action to take to keep people safe. Risks to people were identified and detailed assessments were in place, to ensure risks were managed safely. Health and safety checks were up to date. There were enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff were recruited safely and appropriate checks were carried out.

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.

Staff worked effectively alongside other health and social care professionals to ensure people's needs were met and their health was promoted and maintained. There was a positive atmosphere at the home.

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 15 March 2023).

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to safeguarding, falls management and medicines administration. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement, based on the findings of this inspection.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Riverside View Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We identified one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 relating to medicines management during this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.