This inspection took place on the 2 June and was unannounced.
Magna Nursing Home accommodates up to 36 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. It is situated in Wigston on the outskirts of Leicester. The home is on two floors with a lift for access. It is close to local shops and amenities. At the time of the inspection there were 33 people using the service.
The home had 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.
Relatives said they thought their family members were safe at the home and had peace of mind about them being there. Staff knew how to keep people safe and ensured they had the support they needed to live as safely and independently as possible.
Staff were trained to keep people safe and understood the signs of abuse and how to report any concerns they might have. People who lacked capacity to make certain decisions were effectively supported with staff using the least restrictive methods available.
There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs. Staff had the time to both support people and interact socially with them. Staff were safely recruited and the right skills and experience to provide safe care. Medicines were safely managed the home and given to people in the way they wanted them.
We observed lunch being served and saw this was a friendly social occasion where staff encouraged people to interact with them and with each other. Relatives praised the food served and said their family members enjoyed it. The menus we saw were varied and balanced and showed that people had choices at every meal.
People’s health care needs were identified and care plans put in place to assist staff in meeting them in conjunction with health care professionals where necessary. Relatives told us staff acted quickly if people using the service needed medical attention.
Relatives told us the staff were caring and kind and staff told us they would be happy for one of their own family members to be cared for at the home. We felt there was a happy caring atmosphere in the home and staff went out of their way to include people in activities.
Relatives told us the staff were always respectful to the people using the service and we observed this during our inspection. However some improvements were needed to the way records were written to ensure people’s photos were dignified and the appropriate language used when describing people’s mental health needs.
Relatives told us the staff provided personalised care that focused on the needs of the individuals.
Care plans instructed staff on how to support people in the way they wanted. All the staff we spoke with had a good understanding of people’s individual needs.
The home’s activities co-ordinator provided a range of group and one to one activities for the people using the service. During the inspection we observed people singing, doing art, having hair care and manicures, and playing board games. We saw that staff constantly encouraged people to remain active and get involved in the life of the home.
Relatives told us that if they had any concerns they would raise them as the home had an ‘open’ culture where it was easy to do that. Records showed that if someone did complain or raise a concern staff documented this and took action to put things right.
All the relatives we spoke with said they thought the home was well-led and homely. The atmosphere was warm and welcoming. The focus was on quality and life with the people using the services at the centre of how the home was run.
Relatives told us the registered manager was always friendly and approachable. Both the registered manager and deputy were knowledgeable about the people using the service and had a good understanding of their individual needs. The registered manager had systems in place to monitor and assess the overall quality of the service.