Dunsland House

Updated 11 June 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:

One adult social care inspector carried out the inspection.

Service and service type:

Dunsland House is a residential care home in Berkhamstead, providing care and accommodation for people over the age of 65 who require nursing or personal care and may be living with dementia. Dunsland House is registered for 19 people using the service. At the time of our inspection there were 18 people receiving a service for personal care.

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.

Notice of inspection:

This inspection was unannounced and was carried out on 28th May 2019.

What we did:

Before our inspection we reviewed information about the service including statutory notifications that had been submitted. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us. We looked the provider information return (PIR) submitted. This is information the provider is required to send us. This document details how they meet the regulations, identify any key achievements and any plans for improvement.

During the inspection we spoke with four people using the service, one relative and four staff. We looked at two people’s care files which included all aspects of care and risk. We looked at two staff files, staff training and supervision planning records and other records relating to the management of the service. These included records of accident and incidents, audits and quality assurance, meeting minutes, compliments and complaints.

After the inspection we received additional information from the registered manager.

Updated 11 June 2019

About the service:

Dunslands House is a residential care home in Berkhamstead, providing care and accommodation for people over the age of 65 who require nursing or personal care and may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 18 people receiving a service for personal care.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were happy at the service and were supported by staff who knew them well. People felt their privacy and dignity was promoted. People were able to choose how to spend their time and encouraged to make decisions about their care. People's care plans gave staff information on how people wanted to be supported and what their likes and dislikes were.

People enjoyed the activities available. There were communal areas which were well decorated and were used regularly.

The recruitment process and training provided to staff meant that people were supported by staff who were suitable to work in a care setting. Staff felt well supported. People felt in most cases there was enough staff to meet their needs.

People had individual risk assessments in place and staff were aware of these. People received their medicines when they needed, and these were managed safely. People and relatives told us they felt happy living at Dunsland. ““It’s a home and we feel 100% comfortable with [Relative] being here.”

The registered manager was known throughout the home and people and staff were positive about them. All staff were clear about what was expected of them and any lessons learned were communicated well through meetings and handover.

The registered manager carried had a robust quality assurance system in place to ensure they provided a good service.

The service met the characteristics for a rating of Good in all key questions.

More information about the inspection finding is in the full report.

Rating at last inspection:

At the last inspection the service was rated Good (Last report published 2nd September 2016)

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk