This inspection took place on 22 July 2015 and was unannounced. At our previous inspection on 4 October 2013 we found that they were meeting the Regulations we assessed them against. Weston House provides accommodation and personal care for up to 38 people some of who may be living with dementia. There was a new manager in post that had applied to be registered with CQC. 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.
People felt safe in the home and relatives were confident that their relatives were cared for by staff who knew how to keep them safe. Staff identified any risks to people and took action to minimise harm.
Staffing levels and the skill mix of staff were sufficient to meet most of the needs of people who lived in the home and to keep them safe. The manager and staff considered the levels of staff on the dementia unit were reduced too early in the evening to ensure that everyone could receive personal attention. Staff recruitment was thorough with required checks completed prior to staff commencing work.
Medication was stored securely. People were prescribed medication that had to be administered ‘as and when required’. However, not all ‘as required’ medication gave full details of the circumstances in which it should be given. This could result in some medication being administered inconsistently.
Staff obtained consent from people before they provided care and support. The manager and staff had an understanding of providing care to people who lacked the capacity to make their own decisions so that people had their rights protected.
People were assisted to eat and drink enough to keep them healthy. People were supported to access a variety of healthcare professionals to ensure their healthcare needs were met and were assisted to see their GP as and when required.
People living at the home considered that staff were caring and kind and knew them well. People were supported to maintain their independence where possible.
The care plans detailed people’s healthcare needs and gave staff direction to provide care. Most people were confident that their care was provided in the way they wanted. People knew that staff kept formal records of changes to their care.
Staff were aware of the activities people enjoyed and what was of interest to them. People were supported to take part in activities both in the home and in the community. Activities were planned on a monthly basis and people were encouraged to tell staff what they would like to do and efforts were made to accommodate these requests.
People who had concerns about the care of their relative had known how to complain and felt able to do so. One person had not been confident that their concerns had been resolved yet. People were aware that there was a new manager in post and had found them welcoming and approachable. Staff enjoyed their work and felt supported and listened to. They spoke positively about the provider and the manager.
Regular meetings took place with people living at the home. Relatives were also consulted for their views about the service provided. Their views were listened to and taken on board. The provider had a number of quality audits in place in order to monitor the quality of care provided. When incidents occurred the outcome was reviewed so that staff could learn from mistakes.