Camberley Heights Care Home

Pembroke House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 100 people. The service is purpose-built and provides accommodation and facilities over five floors. The third floor provides care and support to people who are living with dementia, this area is called The Lodge. The other areas of the home provide care for people requiring 'assisted living'. Some people lead a mainly independent life and use the home's facilities to support their lifestyle. At the time of our inspection, there were 58 people living at Pembroke House.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People felt safe living at Pembroke House and staff were aware of how to identify and report concerns about people’s care. Risks to people’s safety and well-being were identified and measures implemented to reduce risks. Robust infection prevention and control processes were in place to minimise the risk of cross infection. People received their medicines in line with their prescriptions and medicines were stored safely. The management team were monitoring this process closely to ensure previous concerns were being addressed effectively.

There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people’s needs. The high use of agency staff was being addressed and the skills of agency staff were reviewed to ensure those employed were able to meet people’s needs. Safe recruitment processes were in place. Staff received training and induction to support them in their roles.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff supported people in a personalised way and respected people’s choices and decisions. People told us staff were kind and respected their dignity and privacy. People told us they enjoyed the food and had a range of options to choose from. People had access to health care professionals and staff had guidance regarding specific health conditions to refer to.

Staff knew people’s needs and preferences well and were informed of any changes to people’s care. Staff understood people’s individual communication needs. People were involved in developing the activities programme to ensure activities were relevant to them. People were encouraged to continue using facilities available in the town centre. There were regular trips to places of interest and entertainers performed at Pembroke House frequently. People were able to receive visitors when they wished.

People, relatives and staff told us they felt the home was managed well and there was a positive and welcoming atmosphere. Staff felt supported by the leadership team and requests for changes to systems were listened to. Quality assurance audits were completed regularly and a service improvement plan was used to monitor actions arising from any shortfalls identified. The provider was in the process of rolling out their dementia care strategy to further develop and promote people living well with dementia and being at the centre of their own care.

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

Rating at last inspection

Pembroke House is run by two companies: WR Signature Operations Limited and Signature Senior Lifestyle Operations Ltd. These two companies have a dual registration and are jointly responsible for the services at the home. The last rating for the service under WR Signature Operations Limited was good (published 09 August 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. Following our first day of inspection we received information of concern in relation to people’s safe care. A decision was made to return to the service at night to examine those risks. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Pembroke House is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. Pembroke House provides facilities and services for up to 100 older people who require personal or nursing care. The service is purpose built and provides accommodation and facilities over five floors. A designated area of the service provides care and support to people who are living with dementia, this area is called The Lodge. On the day of the inspection there were 29 people living at Pembroke House. This was the first inspection of the service since registration.

There was a registered manager in post who supported us during our 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.

Sufficient staff were available to ensure staff had time to spend with people and their needs were met in a timely manner. Robust recruitment checks were completed to ensure they were suitable to work at the service. Staff completed a comprehensive induction and training programme to support them in their job roles. Additional training was also available to staff where specific training needs were identified. Staff received regular supervisions and this was monitored by the registered manager. Staff told us they felt supported and that the management team listened and acted upon their suggestions.

Staff understood their responsibilities in safeguarding people and protecting them from potential abuse. Risk assessments identified potential risks to people’s safety and management plans were implemented to reduce and monitor these. Accidents and incidents were reported and monitored to ensure any trends were identified and lessons were learnt. People lived in a clean and well-maintained environment which had been designed to consider people’s needs. Regular health and safety checks were completed and equipment was serviced as required. Safe infection control procedures were followed by staff and personal protective equipment was provided. The provider had developed a contingency plan to ensure people would continue to receive their care in the event of an unforeseen event.

People had access to healthcare professionals and advice provided was followed. Clinical review meetings were held weekly to review people’s healthcare needs. Safe medicines management systems were in place and staff competency in administering medicines had been assessed. People’s legal rights were protected as the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 were followed and staff understood how this impacted on their role.

People were cared for by staff who showed them kindness and spent time getting to know them. There was a relaxed and friendly atmosphere throughout the service. People were encouraged to maintain their independence and keep in contact with those who were important to them. Visitors were made to feel welcome and there were no restrictions on the times they were able to visit. People’s religious and cultural needs were discussed and supported.

Prior to moving into the service people were involved in an assessment process which ensured the service would be able to meet their needs. Detailed, personalised care plans were in place which provided guidance to staff on how people preferred their care and support. Staff knew people’s needs well and worked as a team to provide the care they required. There was a range of activities offered which took into account people’s previous interests, hobbies and occupations.

There was a positive and open culture and staff were clear about the aims of the service. Quality assurance systems were in place and action plans developed to address any area which required improvement. People were given the opportunity to share their views and offer suggestions regarding the running of the service and their suggestions were acted upon. The provider had a complaints policy in place and people were aware of how they could raise any concerns.