Archived: Glen Lee

Updated 8 September 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection took place on 26 July and 1 August 2018. The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Before the inspection, we reviewed the information we held about the service. This included notifications about important events, which the service is required to send us by law. The registered manager completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We also received written feedback from a healthcare professional.

During the inspection, we spoke with two people, three visitors and six members of staff, including the cook. We also spoke with the manager and three other members of the provider’s management team. We used a range of different methods to help us understand the experiences of people using the service who were not always able to tell us about their experience. These included observations and pathway tracking. Pathway tracking is a process, which enables us to look in detail at the care received by an individual using the service. We pathway tracked the care and support of two people. We also looked at a range of records, including three care plans, two staff recruitment files and quality assurance audits.

Updated 8 September 2018

This inspection took place on 26 July and 1 August 2018 and unannounced.

At the last inspection of 25 July 2017, we found a breach of regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. During this inspection we found improvements had been made and there was no longer a breach.

Glen Lee 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.

Glen Lee provides accommodation and personal care for up to 33 people who may be living with dementia. The accommodation is provided over two floors accessed by a passenger lift. There are a number of communal areas where people can sit together or alone if they wish. There is also a garden which is safe for people to access independently. On the first day of the inspection there were 12 people living at Glen Lee and this increased to 14 people on the second day of the inspection.

The registered manager had previously stopped working at the home and had applied to deregister with the CQC at the time of the inspection. 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. The provider had employed the services of an external consultancy company as a short-term arrangement to improve the quality of the service. During the inspection process, a new manager had been recruited.

Medicines were stored safely and at the correct temperatures. People received their medicines as prescribed, from trained staff. The provider had policies and procedures in place designed to protect people from abuse and people felt safe living at Glen Lee. Risk assessments identified when people were at risk and action was taken to minimise the risks. Where incidents had occurred, these were recorded appropriately and the incident reviewed to understand how the situation had occurred. Lessons were learned and improvements made when things went wrong. The home was clean.

People’s needs were met by suitable numbers of staff, who were trained and supported in their roles by the management structure. Staff supported people to eat and drink in line with their preferences, individual needs and dietary requirements. Staff knew people well and sought professional medical help when necessary. Mental capacity assessments and best interests decisions were completed where necessary. The provider had invested in the environment which was designed to meet people’s needs.

People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion. Staff were patient with people, offering and supporting their choices. People were supported to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care and support. Staff supported people with their personal care whilst being mindful of their privacy and dignity.

People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs and enjoyed a range of activities, which were tailored to their interests and choices. People were consulted about their end of life care choices and wishes. People and their relatives had access to the complaints procedure.

The provider promoted a positive culture that was open and transparent and staff enjoyed going to work. The provider had a management structure throughout the organisation and staff were aware of their role within the structure. People, their relatives and staff were involved in how the service was managed. The provider and manager ensured the service was continuously learning and improving and there was an effective system of auditing to improve quality.