Updated 27 April 2019
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. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team: This inspection was carried out by one inspector and an expert by experience with an area of expertise in dementia care. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.
Service and service type: Dalling House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The care home accommodates up to 19 people, including people living with dementia in one adapted building. The home was laid out across three floors with lift access, and 17 of the 19 bedrooms offered en-suite facilities.
The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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. The registered manager had not changed since the last inspection.
Notice of inspection: This planned comprehensive inspection took place on 19 March 2019 and was unannounced.
What we did: Before the inspection we reviewed the information we had received about the service, including previous inspection reports and notifications. Notifications are information about specific important events the service is legally required to send to us. We also considered information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection we gathered information from:
• 11 people using the service
• Two relatives
• The registered manager
• Three members of care staff
• The cook
• One visiting healthcare professional
• Observations of residents and staff interactions including meal times
• Records of accidents, incidents and complaints
• Audits and quality assurance reports
• Environmental risk assessments and building maintenance certificates
• Medicine Administration Records (MARS)
• Health and Safety Records, including fire safety practices
• Three staff records including recruitment practices
• Five people’s care records
After the inspection we gathered information from:
• The activities co-ordinator
• Feedback received by the provider from visitors and professionals who had visited the service
• Resident and staff meeting minutes