Archived: D & A Rodgers Homes - 58 Whichers Gate Road

A single inspector carried out this inspection. The focus of the inspection was to answer five key questions; is the service safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led? Below is a summary of what we found.

Is the service safe?

People were treated kindly by staff. People told us about their satisfaction with the home and told us they felt safe. We looked at the recruitment process the provider followed and found that this ensured that staff were suitably experienced and safe to be supporting people.

Staff received a variety of training including; first aid and food hygiene. The provider encouraged staff to complete the Health and social care qualification.

CQC monitors the operation of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DOLS) which applies to care homes. Management we spoke with had a good understanding of the Mental Capacity Act, DoLS and their responsibility in this.

The provider had a number of systems in place to ensure the safety and suitability of the premises were maintained for people living at the home.

Is the service effective?

People's health and care needs had been assessed. People had care plans so staff could support them in the way they not only chose but also required. Where there were risks associated with people's care and treatment these had been assessed and agreed actions to reduce these risks had been identified. This meant people were receiving care which was planned and delivered in a way that was intended to ensure their safety and welfare.

Is the service caring?

People were supported by staff that were kind and patient in their approach. We saw care workers showed patience and gave encouragement when supporting people. People described their satisfaction with the home. One person told us, 'I have lived here a long time, I like all the staff. They are nice, they (staff) help me to do what I choose'.

People using the service were involved in regular meetings to discuss the home.

Is the service responsive?

People knew how to make a complaint if they were unhappy. We saw the home had a clear complaints procedure on display and in a format that people could understand.

Where necessary the home worked with other professionals to ensure the support provided met all the needs of people living at the home.

Is the service well-led?

All of the staff said and people who used the service said they felt supported and listened to. They told us they were confident issues of concern would be acted upon.

We saw the service had some systems in place to monitor and assess the quality of the service including incident/accident records, "resident meetings" and staff meetings. The health and safety of the home was monitored regularly and there were a number of policies which guided staff about the action they should take in the event of an emergency.

We saw that learning from incidents took place and meetings to share this learning were held with staff.

People using the service received personalised care and support that meets their needs. Risks relating to the provision of care and support were identified and managed, taking into account safety and people's right to make choices.

People we spoke with said they felt safe in the home and told us that the manager regularly visited the service to talk to them and make sure they were fine.

People using the service were supported by sufficient numbers of staff, who received regular supervision and ongoing training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to meet people's needs. All of the staff working at the home had completed National Vocational Qualifications (NVQ) at level 2, 3 or 4.

Surveys had been sent out to people using the service, their relatives, staff and involved external professionals to receive feedback. This meant that people were asked for their views about the quality of service that people were receiving.

People told us they liked living at the home. One person said, 'It's a very nice place. We like it here. I'm more or less independent.'

People said they were able to make choices in how they spent their time. One person said, 'We can do what we want. We choose what food we eat.' People said they were able to go to bed and get up when they liked.

It was clear from talking to people that each person accessed community facilities. People said they attended work and college courses, as well as getting involved in social events.

People said they were involved in daily routines in the home such as cleaning and feeding the pet fish.

People said they were supported by staff and that they were aware of their individual care plan. One person said, 'We have a good bunch of staff here. They are kind. They talk to you. They are nice caring people.'

People said they felt safe at the home.

We asked people what they would do if they wanted to make a complaint. People said they would speak to the acting manager or to one of the providers.

People said they felt there were enough staff on duty to meet their needs.