Archived: George Hythe House

George Hythe House is a care service providing accommodation and support for up to 44 people aged 55 years or over with a range of physical and/or mental health needs including dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 39 people who lived at the home.

Accommodation is on two floors with a passenger lift for access. All bedrooms are en-suite and there is one double room. The service is divided into four ‘houses’, each with its own dining room. There is a large communal lounge on the ground floor, a second lounge on the first floor, and secluded gardens to the rear of the service.

At the last inspection on 21 April 2015 the service was rated Good.

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

At the last inspection we asked the provider to take action as some moving and handling practice was not considered to be safe. At this inspection we found people were safe and moved around the service independently and assisted safely by staff.

People and their relatives felt staff were kind and caring. People felt their privacy and dignity was respected in the delivery of care and their choice of lifestyle. Relatives that commented were complimentary about the staff and the care offered to their relatives. People were aware of their care plans and they were involved in care plan reviews. Staff offered people everyday choices and respected their decisions. People had their care and support needs assessed and were involved in the development of their care plan. Staff had access to people’s care plans and received regular updates about people’s care needs. Care plans included changes to peoples care and treatment, and people attended routine health checks.

People were provided with a choice of meals that matched their dietary needs. Staff ensured people were able to maintain contact with their family and friends and visitors were welcome without undue restrictions. There were sufficient person centred activities provided on a regular basis. People and their relatives felt they could raise any issues with the registered manager or staff.

Staff were subject to a thorough recruitment procedure that ensured staff were qualified and suitable to work at the service. All the staff received a training induction and then on-going training for their specific job role. Staff were informed and were able to explain how they kept people safe from abuse. Staff were aware of whistleblowing and what assistance was available from external bodies to report suspected abuse on to, and follow up alleged incidents. Staff were available in adequate numbers to meet people’s personal care needs.

Staff told us they had access to information about people’s care and support needs and what was important to people. People, their relatives and staff felt they could make comments or raise concerns with the management team about the way the service was run and were confident these would be acted on.

There was a clear supportive management structure within the service, which meant the staff were aware of who to contact out of hours. The provider undertook quality monitoring in the service and was supported by the registered manager and staff. Staff were aware of the reporting procedure for faults and repairs and had access to maintenance services and manage any emergency repairs.

The provider had developed opportunities for people to express their views about the service. These included the views and suggestions from people using the service, their relatives and health and social care professionals. We received positive feedback from the local authority with regard to the care and service offered to people.

After the comprehensive inspection the provider wrote to us to say what they would do to meet legal requirements in relation to the breach.

We undertook this focused inspection unannounced on 7 October 2016 to check that the provider had followed their plan and to confirm that they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to those requirements. You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting ‘all reports’ link for George Hythe House on our website at www.cqc.org.uk

George Hythe House is a registered care home providing accommodation and support for up to 44 people aged 55 years or over with a range of physical and/or mental health needs including dementia. Accommodation is on two floors with a passenger lift for access. At the time of our inspection there were 40 people using the service.

The service has a registered manager. This 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 service had a warm and friendly atmosphere and staff were attentive and kind. The main lounge was the centre of activity during our inspection visit as people had congregated there waiting for an entertainer to arrive. In other parts of the service some people had chosen to remain in their rooms or in quieter communal areas. Staff checked them regularly to ensure they were safe and content where they were.

People told us they felt safe at the service and relatives agreed. Staff knew how to safeguard people and protect them from harm. Medicines were safely managed. We observed staff supporting people safely in communal and other areas. They were knowledgeable about people’s needs and any areas where they might be at risk. However people’s records did not always contain appropriate and detailed care plans and risk assessments to ensure staff had the information they needed to provide safe care.