Ferndale Residential Home

Updated 25 February 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 16 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 24 hours’ notice of the inspection.

Updated 25 February 2022

Ferndale Residential Home provides accommodation for persons who require personal care. They are registered for up to 30 people and care for older people who may also be living with dementia. On the day of our visit there were 22 people living at the service.

At the last inspection the service was rated good, however; they were in breach of one legal regulation. The systems in place for the administration of people's medicines were not always safe. During this inspection we found that the provider had carried out improvements in this area and the service was no longer in breach. At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

The service did not have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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. A new manager had been appointed and they were being supported by an experienced manager. We found that statutory notifications were not always sent to the CQC straight away, however; the management team at the service took immediate action to rectify this during the inspection.

People felt safe living at the service and staff were aware of the action they should take to safeguard people from abuse. Risk assessments were in place to ensure people's safety and staffing levels were sufficient to meet people's needs. Staff had been robustly recruited to ensure they were of good character and suitable for their roles.

Staff members had the training and support they needed to ensure that people's needs were being met. People's consent to their care, treatment and support was sought and, where necessary, the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) were applied. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People enjoyed the food and drink provided at the service and staff worked with people to ensure their nutritional needs were being met. In addition, we saw that appointments with healthcare professionals were supported and changes made to care plans based on their advice.

There were positive relationships between people and members of staff. Staff were kind and compassionate and worked to ensure that people and their relatives were involved in making decisions about their care. People's privacy was maintained at all times and staff treated people with dignity and respect.

People received person-centred care. Pre-admission assessments were carried out and care plans were written and regularly updated to ensure they were reflective of people's needs. Activities took place to ensure that people were active and stimulated and further improvements were planned. Feedback, including complaints, was welcomed by the service and used to help drive improvements.

There was a positive and open culture at the service. Staff were motivated to perform their roles and felt well supported by the new management team at the service. Quality assurance systems were in place at the service and used to develop action plans and improve the quality of care provided by the service.