Morven House

Updated 31 August 2023

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

This inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Morven House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Morven House is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided. At the time of our inspection the registered manager was not in post having left the service. However, they had not yet de-registered with CQC.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people, 1 relative, 4 staff, the new manager and 2 directors. We reviewed 6 people’s care record and 4 staff files. We undertook checks of the environment and people’s medicines, and we reviewed the provider’s fire safety and quality monitoring processes.

Updated 31 August 2023

About the service

Morven House is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 40 people. The service provides support to older people requiring residential support. The service does not provide nursing care. At the time of our inspection there were 26 people using the service.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People were not always protected by the provider’s planning and safety checks. The service had not updated its fire evacuation plan as directed by fire services and failed to deploy enough staff over night to be able to implement the evacuation plans in place. Daily health and safety checks failed to detect hazards we found which included risks of tripping and falling from height.

People’s individual risk assessments did not always contain enough information to support staff to mitigate risks. Checks were not made of the temperatures at which medicines were stored and we found the temperatures on both medicines’ trollies exceeded permitted levels.

The service did not have a registered manager in post. The new manager had been in post for only 2 weeks at the time of our inspection. People, relatives and staff expressed confidence in the new manager and noted a number of improvements they had made already.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

The care home was clean. Staff followed an enhanced cleaning programme and wore appropriate personal protective equipment to reduce people’s risks and spread of infection. Food was stored and prepared safely, and good hygiene practices were followed in the laundering of clothing and bedding.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 12 May 2022). The service remains rated requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last three consecutive inspections.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about fire safety, staffing, medicines and the management at the service. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report. The provider has taken action to mitigate the risks we found.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Morven House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to people’s safe care and treatment and the provider’s leadership of the service.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We have requested further action plans from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.