OSJCT Athelstan House

Since the last inspection we found care delivery had improved. We observed staff interacting with people in a person-centred way. Staff knew people’s needs and had time to interact with people in a relaxed manner. Activities for people had been planned and were provided in various areas around the service. During our assessment we observed local clergy visiting to provide people with communion. People were seen to be involved in light domestic tasks which they wanted to do, and we saw people enjoying the garden.

People had their medicines as prescribed. Systems were effective in making sure medicines were ordered, stored and administered safely. People had access to healthcare professionals when needed. Feedback from healthcare professionals about staff, management and care provided was positive.

Staff had been recruited safely. Pre-employment checks had been completed, and staff were provided with a good induction when starting work. Staff received refresher training as needed and had support from managers through processes such as supervision and staff meetings. We observed there were enough staff available to safely meet people’s needs.

The home was clean. We observed staff working safely, following infection prevention and control guidelines. Premises and equipment were regularly serviced and checked for safety by external contractors. In addition, a team of maintenance staff was employed to help carry out health and safety checks.

Risks to people’s safety were identified and assessed. People’s individual care plans gave staff comprehensive information on how to provide safe and effective support. Any monitoring people needed had been recorded in daily care records. There was a ‘resident of the day’ process which helped senior staff regularly review care plans.

There was a stable management team at the service who were all very experienced working in this type of service. Feedback about them from people, relatives, staff and professionals was very positive. Management was approachable, inclusive and actively supported staff to develop their knowledge and skills.

Governance systems were very effective in identifying areas to improve. There was a service improvement plan which monitored actions for improvement and timescales for completion. The provider had regular checks to monitor management actions. A regional manager visited the service regularly to carry out various checks on quality and safety.