Archived: Crecy Residential Home

Below is a summary of what we found. The summary describes what people using the service, their relatives, staff and others told us, what we observed and the records we looked at.

If you want to see the evidence that supports our summary please read the full report.

Is the service safe?

People were cared for in an environment that was safe and suitable for their needs. People received a pre-assessment of their needs before they came to live at Crecy Residential Home. We looked at a number of care plans and risk assessments and found these had recently been updated and where necessary amended to reflect people's changing needs. There was sufficient staff available to support people's needs in line with their plan of care.

People who use services were only deprived of their liberty when this had been authorised by the Court of Protection, or by a Supervisory Body under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. This meant that senior staff was aware of their obligations to protect and safeguard the human rights of people living at the home.

People's personal records including medical records were accurate and fit for purpose. We looked at the care records of four people. We saw that people had signed their plan of care and where this was not possible; relatives and staff had been included and involved to ensure that people's needs had been identified.

Is the service effective?

The relatives of three people told us that they were happy with the care their families had received and felt that people's needs had been met. Primary care staff told us that they were supported by staff at the home when they visited to provide health support to individuals. From what we saw and from speaking with staff and talking to people living at Crecy Residential Home, it was clear that people's care and support needs were understood by staff who were aware of people's changing needs. This was reflected in the care plans we looked through.

People were supported to be able to eat and drink sufficient amounts to meet their needs in line with their plan of care, and were provided with the support they required. A choice of meals was offered from a varied menu and there were alternatives for those who chose not to have the meal of the day. There were vegetarian options available for people each day. People's food and drink met their religious or cultural needs. We spoke with one person who told us about their individual dietary requests. They told us "I'm offered a choice each day from the menu."

Is the service caring?

People were supported by staff that were attentive and demonstrated a kind, friendly and patient approach. We observed staff encouraging people while respecting and promoting their independence. One person told us that the staff were caring and took an interest in their work, saying "The staff are considerate and caring, nothing is too much trouble and they take an interest in me and what their work." We talked with relatives of people living at the home and one told us that staff made time for them and made people feel "welcomed". One visitor told us that staff were available to assist them and were professional in the way they supported people.

Is the service responsive?

We spoke with the registered manager of the service who told us that staff were learning more about their keyworker roles and responsibilities. Records showed what was important to people, their specific wishes and personal interests. We looked at the minutes from recent meetings at the home where people had been involved in providing suggestions and ideas, particularly with choice of activities. Some of these had been included, while others were being further explored. We spoke with people and their relatives who confirmed that staff at Crecy Residential Home encouraged and promoted the inclusion of family and friends. The relative of one person said "I often come for Sunday lunch to be with my relative, the staff make me feel comfortable and invited; the food is very good."

Is the service well-led?

Staff were aware of their roles and responsibilities. People told us they were regularly approached for feedback about the service and had been given the opportunity to contribute their ideas or evaluate the service through meetings and surveys. Quality assurance processes were in place at the home and we viewed the most recent quarterly internal audit. This covered all aspects of how the home was being managed and senior staff told us that registered managers were offered specific support and training to carry out their roles. Staff confirmed that at team meetings changes, developments and ideas were sought, shared and communicated. One staff member said "We discuss important changes at the staff meetings and our one to one sessions." We confirmed this from the minutes of recent team meetings.

When we visited the home was being redecorated.

Some people spoke highly of the care they received and the staff that provided their care. One person said the 'staff are lovely, really helpful'. However, we found that although people's needs were assessed, care was not always planned and delivered in line with their individual needs.

Staff understood the systems that were in place to protect people from abuse.

Although most people spoke highly of the staff and the care they received, we saw that at times there were not enough staff to meet their needs in a timely manner.

The home had some systems to identify, assess and manage risks to the health, safety and welfare of people using the service and others. However, it had not identified some of the omissions we found and people's views were not always taken into account.

People's records did not always contain accurate and appropriate information.

We saw the home had sufficient numbers of staff to care for the people who lived in the home safely. The staff were knowledgeable and able to meet the needs of the people they cared for. The home had good contacts with the local mental health and social services teams and worked with them if issues arose.

The home had policies and procedures to ensure the staff were supported in their caring role. They were regularly supervised and all the staff files we examined had appraisal and staff development plans.

Staff told us 'we get a lot of support from Agincare-the provider, todo training'.The employer has a range of training for its staff to ensure the quality of their service.