Kinloch Tay Residential Care Home

Updated 15 November 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 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 8 and 12 October 2018 and was unannounced. On the first day of the inspection there was 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. On the second day of the inspection, there was one inspector.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and any improvements they plan to make. We reviewed the information in the PIR, along with other records we held about the service including previous inspection reports and notifications. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell the Care Quality Commission about by law.

We spoke with three people living at the home and three family members. We spoke with the registered manager, the deputy manager, five care staff and the cook. We also spoke with two visiting healthcare professionals. We looked at care plans and associated records for four people, records relating to staff recruitment, training and support, records of accidents and incidents, policies and procedures and quality assurance.

The home was last inspected in October 2017 when it was rated as ‘Requires Improvement’ overall with a breach of Regulation 11 and Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Updated 15 November 2018

The inspection took place on 8 and 12 October 2018 and was unannounced.

Kinloch Tay is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Kinloch Tay is a care home which provides accommodation for up to 21 people. At the time of our inspection, there were 20 people living in the home. This home provides a service to older people, including people living with dementia, a sensory impairment, a physical disability or a mental health need. The service was arranged over two levels, and connected via a passenger lift and staircase. There was a mix of single and double bedrooms, most of which had en-suite facilities available. There was an accessible bathroom and toilet on each floor as well as a single toilet on the first floor. Communal facilities included a large lounge, a dining room and a secure garden area that people could easily access.

There was a registered manager at the home. 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 October 2017, the service was rated ‘Requires Improvement’ overall and we identified breaches of Regulations 11 and 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. People’s rights were not protected in line with the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and risks to people were not always identified and assessed to ensure their safety. We also identified a breach of Regulation 18 of the Registration Regulations 2009. The registered manager had not notified the CQC of all incidents involving people living at the service. At this inspection, we found action had been taken to address these issues, and there were no longer any breaches of regulation.

Individual and environmental risks were managed effectively. Risk assessments identified risks to people and provided clear guidance to staff on how risks should be managed and mitigated.

Staff were knowledgeable of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and people’s rights were protected in line with the Act at all times. Where people were required to be deprived of their liberty, this was completed and recorded in an appropriate and timely manner.

People felt safe living at Kinloch Tay. Staff knew how to keep people safe and how to identify, prevent and report abuse. They engaged appropriately with the local safeguarding authority.

Thorough staff recruitment checks were carried out when a new staff member started working for the service. There were enough staff available to keep people safe at all times and staffing levels were monitored by the registered manager.

There were robust systems in place to ensure the safe management of medicines. People were supported to receive their medicines by staff who had been trained appropriately and medicine administration records were completed accurately.

Staff received a variety of training and demonstrated knowledge, skill and competence to support people effectively. Staff were supported appropriately by the registered manager and deputy manager.

People were supported by staff with their nutritional and hydration needs. People were offered choice at mealtimes and menus contained a variety of nutrition and healthy foods. Where people had specific dietary requirements, this was well documented and staff were aware of how to meet these needs.

People had access to health and social care professionals where required and staff worked together co-operatively and efficiently.

People were cared for with kindness and compassion. Staff had developed positive relationships with people and their relatives and knew what mattered most to them.

Staff took action to protect people’s dignity and privacy at all times and encouraged people to be independent with all aspects of their daily routines where possible.

People had a clear, detailed and person-centred care plan in place, which guided staff on the most appropriate way to support them. People’s families were invited to be involved in the planning and delivery of their relatives care where appropriate.

The service had a clear process in place to deal with complaints and we saw that concerns were dealt with in a timely and effective manner.

People had access to a variety of activities to ensure they received appropriate mental and physical stimulation, and were encouraged to follow their own interests.

People, their relatives, visitors and staff members commented positively on the leadership of the service and felt that the service was well-led. The provider was engaged with the running of the service and was approachable to people and staff.

There were appropriate auditing systems in place, which ensured that issues were acted upon and ideas for improvement were responded too.