Gate Cottage Rest Home provides accommodation and personal care for up to 13 older people. Some people had illnesses or disabilities associated with old age such as limited mobility, physical frailty or lived with health problems such as diabetes. There were 12 people living at the home at the time of our inspection. Accommodation is arranged over two floors and each person had their own bedroom. The first floor had lift access, making all areas of the home accessible to people. Gate Cottage Rest Home is a large detached house in the village of Rottingdean, close to Brighton. The home is the sole location owned by a family and run as Gate Cottage Rest Home Limited.
The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the 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 home is run.
People’s care records showed that some risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been identified. For example, risk assessments guided staff and promoted people’s comfort in such areas as nutrition and the prevention of pressure damage. However, some records were incomplete and their incompleteness did not demonstrate that care was person centred . We have identified this as an area of practice that needs improvement.
People were happy and relaxed with staff. They said they felt safe and there were sufficient staff to support them. One person told us, “I have to have someone in the lift with me in case I fall and I feel safer like that. All I have to do is let them know and they’ll happily take me anywhere.” When staff were recruited, their employment history was checked and references obtained. Checks were also undertaken to ensure new staff were safe to work within the care sector. Staff were knowledgeable and trained in safeguarding and what action they should take if they suspected abuse was taking place.
Medicines were managed safely and in accordance with current regulations and guidance. There were systems in place to ensure that medicines had been stored, administered, audited and reviewed appropriately.
People were supported to make decisions in their best interests. The registered manager and staff had received training and were knowledgeable about the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).
People we spoke with were complimentary about the caring nature of staff. People told us care staff were kind and compassionate. People were treated with respect when they received care. We were told the following, “I’m constantly amazed at how thoughtful and attentive they are. Even if you want a cry, they’d hold your hand or put an arm round your shoulders, they wouldn’t leave you.”
People had access to appropriate healthcare professionals. Staff worked in cooperation with other
health and social care professionals to ensure that people received appropriate care and support. Staff told us how they had regular contact with the GP if they had concerns about people’s health. A person said, “I had to have the doctor when I had a fall once, you can see a doctor when you need to.”
Staff had received essential training and there were opportunities for additional training specific to the needs of the home. Arrangements for the supervision and appraisal of staff were in place. Staff told us they felt supported and recognised the part that regular scheduled supervision played. A staff member said, “I have regular supervision with [named supervisor]. They want to know how we are feeling and how we think we’re doing. It helps me to think about my role. They encourage me to think about going for a senior carer role.”
Systems were in place to monitor the quality of the service provided and regular checks were undertaken on all aspects of running the home. The registered manager had a range of tools that supported them to ensure the quality of the service being provided.
People, their relatives and staff told us it was well-run and organised home The phrase that was used several times throughout the inspections was that the atmosphere was homely, one person said, “It’s really cosy and homely. Just like a family home.”