Background to this inspection
Updated
11 July 2017
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 13 June 2017 and was unannounced on both days.
Before our inspection, we reviewed all the information we held about the home, including previous inspection reports and statutory notifications sent to us by the home. We contacted the local authority and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We also contacted health and social care professionals involved with the service.
Before the inspection providers are asked to complete 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 improvements they plan to make. This was returned to us when we requested it.
The inspection was carried out on day one by two adult social care inspectors and an expert-by-experience who had experience of older people’s services. 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 day two, one adult social care inspector attended to complete the inspection.
At the time of our inspection there were 33 people using the service. During our visit we spoke with four relatives of people who used the service, nine members of staff which included the registered manager, activity co-ordinator, maintenance manager and the administrator. We spent time with and observed how people were being cared for, and looked around areas of the home which included some people’s bedrooms and communal rooms. We looked at documents and records that related to people’s care and the management of the home. We looked at five people’s care records.
Updated
11 July 2017
This was an unannounced inspection carried out on 8 and 13 June 2017. Our last inspection took place in March 2016 where we found two breaches of the legal requirements relating to staff supervision and appraisal and the provision of safe care in an emergency. At this inspection we found the provider had made the required improvements.
Park Avenue is located in the Oakwood/Roundhay area of Leeds. It provides nursing care for up to 43 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. It is close to local amenities and is accessible by public transport.
There was a registered manager in post. 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We saw positive interactions throughout our visit and people were happy and comfortable with the staff. People’s relatives told us they felt their family members were safe and well looked after at the home. A relative said they had confidence in the service and told us they had a sense of security and ease from this. Staff showed a good understanding of safeguarding vulnerable adults and knew what to do to keep people safe from abuse. The registered provider had a range of systems which ensured risk was well managed and included health and safety around the home, safe recruitment of workers, accident and incident management and management of medicines.
There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff responded to people’s individual needs and delivered personalised care; they knew the people they were supporting well. This meant people received consistent support. We saw staff treated people with dignity and respect and supported people in a calm, compassionate and caring way. People’s needs had been assessed well and support plans contained good information which guided staff on how care should be delivered in a person centred way.
Staff were well trained, supervised and appraised which meant they were able to carry out their role effectively. Staff were cheerful and friendly and spoke highly of how much they enjoyed their job. They showed a genuine commitment to people who lived in the home. People had opportunities to take part in activities of their choice. There was a good range of well organised activity for people.
There were policies and procedures in place in relation to the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2005. Staff were trained in the principles of the MCA and could describe how people were supported to make decisions; and where people did not have the capacity; decisions were made in their best interests.
We saw people were provided with a choice of healthy food and drinks which helped to ensure their nutritional needs were met. People enjoyed the food and had plenty to eat and drink. People were supported to maintain good health and had access to healthcare professionals and services.
People were aware of how to complain and told us they knew who to contact if they were not satisfied. People did not raise any issues about the service and told us if they did have any concerns they would discuss these with staff or the management team. The registered manager had dealt appropriately with any complaints received.
Effective systems for monitoring the quality of the service were in place. We saw the registered manager had a visible presence in the home. Staff spoke positively about the leadership of the registered manager and we found there was a positive culture within the service. People who used the service and their relatives were involved in a meaningful way to help drive improvements in the service. They told us they attended meetings and felt confident to raise any issues or concerns they had.