Background to this inspection
Updated
9 March 2019
The inspection:
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection checked whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
Inspection team:
The inspection team consisted of one inspector, two assistant inspectors and one Expert by Experience (ExE). An ExE is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.
Service and service type:
Orsett House is a care home. People in care homes receive accommodation and personal care. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
The service had a manager registered with CQC. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service us run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection:
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did:
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. This included details about incidents the provider must notify us about, such as abuse; and we sought feedback from the local authority and other professionals who work with the service. We assessed the information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections.
During the inspection we spoke with six people and six relatives to ask about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with four members of care and domestic staff, the cook, the facilities manager, the handyman and the registered manager. During the inspection we also spoke with two visiting professionals.
We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and medicine records. We also looked at three staff files around staff recruitment. We also reviewed records relating to the management of the home including checks and audits.
Updated
9 March 2019
About the service:
Orsett House is a care home that provides personal care for older people, some of whom are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection, 45 people lived at the service. The home was established over two floors, with a range of communal areas included dining spaces, a large garden and smaller lounge spaces.
People’s experience of using this service:
The feedback we received from people and their relatives was consistently good. People told us they were well cared for and safe and typical comments from relatives included, “This place has been life changing for my family” and “This place is absolutely marvellous….. and the staff are amazing.” The service had used a quality improvement plan to drive a number of improvements since the last inspection. Managers had also introduced effective audits so that areas for improvement could be addressed on an ongoing basis.
People told us they felt safe and well looked after in the home. There were sufficient staff around to keep people safe and ensure their needs were met. Improvements had been made to the way medicines were managed and the environment was checked and maintained to ensure risks to people were reduced.
People told us how much they enjoyed the food and they had regular access to drinks and snacks throughout the day. People’s capacity was now routinely assessed and their consent was obtained before care and support was given. People were supported in the least restrictive way possible.
The staff team were vigilant to people’s health needs and now made prompt and consistent referrals to external healthcare professionals when required.
People and their relatives thought highly of the staff team and we saw people being treated with kindness and respect. Relatives were made to feel welcome in the home and arrangements were made to ensure people’s privacy was respected. Staff ensured people had access to equipment which they could use to maintain their independence.
People received care that was in line with their needs and individual preferences. Care plans were now more reflective of people's current needs and staff took time to ensure care plans were amended when people’s needs changed. Concerns and complaints were addressed quickly. Relatives told us they thought the end of life care provided by the home was personalised and dignified.
The registered manager was visible and approachable and relatives and staff were happy with the way the service was being led. The management team had created an open culture where concerns could be raised and areas for improvement addressed.
The service worked well with other services to ensure people’s needs were met and that people received a high-quality service.
More information is in the detailed findings below.
Rating at last inspection:
Requires improvement (report published 14 November 2017).
Why we inspected:
This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.
Enforcement:
No enforcement action was required.
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.