Foylebank Care Home

Updated 23 December 2023

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. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Foylebank Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Foylebank Care Home is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post. The provider had recently recruited a new manager who was in the process of registration.

Notice of inspection

The inspection was unannounced. Inspection activity started on 14 November 2023 and ended on 17 November 2023. We visited the location on 14 and 15 November 2023.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We asked the local authority and Healthwatch for their feedback. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England.

We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who used the service and 11 relatives. We also spoke with 8 members of staff including the manager, deputy manager and care workers. We observed people in the dining room, the lounge and in their rooms. We reviewed a range of records which included 6 people's care records and various medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A range of records relating to the management of the service including audits, analyses of data and policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 23 December 2023

About the service

Foylebank is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 35 people. On the first and second day of our inspection there were 32 people at the home.

Foylebank Care Home accommodates people over two floors. There are various communal areas for activities, relaxation and dining. The home has a central garden with viewing windows.

People’s experience of the service and what we found:

Quality assurance systems at the home were not always effective in identifying issues.

People were at increased risk of infection because some areas of the home were not cleaned effectively, and staff were not up to date with the infection prevention training.

The systems to record risk to people’s health and safety were not always efficient, however staff were well aware of any risks to people and knew how to mitigate them.

All staff received mandatory training as part of their induction, however at the time of this inspection some staff were behind with their refresher training. People felt staff were skilled and competent in doing their role.

People felt safe and staff understood how to recognise signs of abuse and neglect and knew to report it. The managers investigated and reported safeguarding allegations thoroughly, in line with the home’s policy and the local safeguarding procedures. There was enough safely recruited staff to meet people’s need, however staff were not always efficiently delegated.

People’s medicines were managed safely by staff who completed training and felt confident in supporting people.

People enjoyed their meals and had plenty of food available whenever they wanted. The dinning environment was pleasant, and people could choose to spend their time in communal areas, quiet rooms or their bedrooms. People could decorate their rooms if they chose to.

People were well treated; their dignity was protected, and independence was promoted. People were supported to live as healthy as possible. When people required support from other services or health professionals, staff identified and referred them promptly. People had access to variety of activities and were supported to avoid social isolation.

Staff ensured people consented to care and this was recorded appropriately. When people lacked the capacity to make certain decisions, staff made decisions in their best interest. 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.

The mangers of the service were approachable and understood their responsibilities. People and staff felt they can raise any issue with the management and were confident they would be resolved promptly.

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

Rating at last inspection

The service was registered with us on 13 January 2020 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

Follow Up

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