Don Thompson House provides care for up to 28 older people who may be elderly and or have a physical disability. Some people are living with dementia. There were 22 people living in the service, when we carried out an unannounced inspection on 29 September 2015.
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 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
People we spoke with including their relatives and visitors were complimentary about the service. They told us they received safe and effective care by staff who were attentive and kind. One person said, “I think this is the best home in the area. Staff are really good. People are treated with respect and made to feel like we matter.”
Procedures were in place which safeguarded the people who used the service from the potential risk of abuse. Staff understood the various types of abuse and knew who to report any concerns to.
Staff understood how to minimise risks and provide people with safe care. Procedures and processes were in place to guide staff on how to ensure the safety of the people who used the service. These included checks on the environment and risk assessments which identified how risks to people were minimised.
There were sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely and who had the skills and knowledge to provide care and support to people in the way they preferred. People were treated with kindness by the staff. Staff respected people’s privacy and dignity and interacted with people in a caring and compassionate manner.
Appropriate arrangements were in place to ensure people’s medicines were obtained, stored and administered safely. People were encouraged to attend appointments with other health care professionals to maintain their health and well-being.
The atmosphere in the service was friendly and welcoming. People received care that was personalised to them and met their needs and wishes. Staff listened to people and acted on what they said.
Care and support provided was individual and based on the assessed needs of each person. People’s care records contained information about how they communicated, what was important to them and their ability to make decisions.
People or their representatives were supported to make decisions about how they led their lives and wanted to be supported. Where they lacked capacity, appropriate actions had been taken to ensure decisions were made in the person’s best interests. The service was up to date with changes regarding the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
Staff supported people to be independent and to meet their individual needs and aspirations. People were encouraged to pursue their hobbies and interests and participated in a variety of personalised meaningful activities.
People’s nutritional needs were being assessed and they were supported to eat and drink sufficiently. People were encouraged to be as independent as possible but where additional support was needed this was provided in a caring and respectful manner.
There was an open and transparent culture in the service. Staff were passionate about their work and they understood their roles and responsibilities. The management team demonstrated good leadership skills and staff said they felt valued and supported.
There was a complaints procedure in place and people knew how to voice their concerns if they were unhappy with the service. Systems were in place that encouraged feedback from people who used the service, relatives, and visiting professionals and this was used to make continual improvements to the service.