The Care Quality Commission
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Archived: Abigail House Care Home - Westerhope

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

173 West Avenue, Westerhope, Newcastle Upon Tyne, Tyne and Wear, NE5 5JH (0191) 286 2468

Provided and run by:
Robert Pattinson

All Inspections

20 September 2013

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Where people were at risk of falling the provider had taken action to ensure their safety and welfare. Action included a referral to the person's GP, a review of care plans and assessments and provision of specialist equipment.

Staffing levels had been maintained at a consistent level since our previous inspection. The provider had introduced a monthly assessment of people's dependency levels to ensure staffing levels were appropriate for the needs of people who used the service.

We found the provider had implemented a more robust system of care plan audits which had been used to identify any gaps in care delivery. The provider had also introduced monthly medication audits.

16 July 2013

During an inspection in response to concerns

We found the provider had made progress since our last inspection to protect people from the risk of poor nutrition. However, we found people who were at risk of falling had not been adequately protected from this risk and had not received appropriate care.

The provider had reduced the number of staff on duty during the night thereby increasing the risk of unsafe care for people who used the service. We found the provider had not properly taken into consideration the needs and dependencies of people, and the impact on staff, before deciding to reduce night-time staffing levels.

23, 24 April 2013

During a routine inspection

People were asked for permission before receiving care and had the opportunity to express their views about the care they received.

People had their needs assessed and care plans had been developed to meet those needs. We observed that people appeared calm and happy and staff attended to their needs. We found the provider did not have a consistent approach for assessing the risk of poor nutrition and care records did not evidence specific action taken to manage people's weight loss.

We found the provider had systems in place to ensure people had their medication when they needed it. We saw staff had completed safe handling of medicines training.

The provider had effective recruitment and selection procedures in place. People we spoke with told us they were happy with the care that staff provided. They said 'Staff are very good and I get on well with all of them' and 'Excellent staff, good natured and seem to enjoy their work.'

The provider asked people and professionals for their views, feedback included 'Friendly and welcoming atmosphere' and 'People are at the centre of the care.' We found that a range of audits were undertaken to check the quality of care delivery. However, we found there were no checks in place to ensure issues relating to medication were identified and appropriate action taken.

People were aware of the provider's complaints procedure and knew how to make a complaint. People we spoke with said they had no concerns about their care.

11 September 2012

During a routine inspection

We used a number of different methods which included observation to help us understand the experiences of people using the service, because most of the people living in the home had complex needs which meant they were not able to tell us their experiences. We saw that staff involved people in making decisions with regard to every day activities such as choice of food and activities.

We spoke with three people who lived in the home who were able to tell us their experiences, they told us they were involved in decision making about every day living in the home.