Margaret House

Updated 25 January 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 6 January 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 1 day notice of the inspection.

Updated 25 January 2022

The inspection took place on 31 October 2017 and was unannounced.

Margaret House provides accommodation for up to 42 people. It is not registered for nursing care. On the day of this inspection 36 people were living at Margaret House.

The home did not have a registered manager in post at the time of this inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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. The provider had appointed a person to register with CQC to manage Margaret House, they were in the process of preparing their application.

When we last inspected the service on 14 July 2015 we found that the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008 at that time.

People felt safe living at Margaret House. Staff understood how to keep people safe and risks to people's safety and well-being were identified and managed. The home was calm and people's needs were met in a timely manner by sufficient numbers of skilled and experienced staff. The provider’s recruitment processes helped to ensure that staff employed to provide care and support for people were fit to do so. However, the provider undertook to implement some improvements to strengthen the process further. People's medicines were managed safely.

Staff received regular support and guidance from the management team which made them feel respected and valued. People received support they needed to eat and drink sufficient quantities and their health needs were well catered for with appropriate referrals made to external health professionals when needed.

People and their relatives complimented the staff team for being kind and caring. Staff and the management team were knowledgeable about individuals' care and support needs and preferences and people had been involved in the planning of their care where they were able. Visitors to the home were encouraged at any time of the day.

The provider had arrangements to receive regular feedback from people who used the service, their relatives, external stakeholders and staff members about the services provided. People were confident to raise anything that concerned them with staff or management and were satisfied that they would be listened to. People were provided with a variety of opportunities for engagement.

There was an open and respectful culture in the home and people who used the service, relatives and staff were comfortable to speak with the provider and management team if they had a concern. The provider had arrangements to regularly monitor health and safety and the quality of the care and support provided for people who used the service.