Whiston Hall

There were sufficient staff at the service to respond to people’s needs in a timely way. However, the provider could not evidence staff had recieved appropriate training. Risks associated with people’s care were identified and managed to keep people safe. People who required hoists to assist them to transfer safely, had details in their care plans regarding how to carry out the task safely. People receive their medicines as prescribed. The home was generally clean and tidy and infection prevention and control was managed to minimise risks. The systems in place to learn from accidents and incidents were effective.

Mealtime experience was poor. People sat in dining room a while before getting meals. Most people did not eat their meal. People told us the chicken was tough and burned. There was a reduced choice for people who required a pureed diet. Therefore, people did not always experience the same outcome. The new manager was in the process of introducing a hydration station so people had more access to fluids. People had access to healthcare professionals and care plans were updated with guidance and advice.

People had access to a selection of seating areas including a conservatory. People had access to outside space. We observed lunch and found more choice could be provided for people, particularly people who required specialist diets. Staff interacted well with people and were kind and caring.

People received care which was person centred and met their needs. However, care plans required more information especially where people were living with dementia.

We identified 1 breach of regulation.

Systems in place to monitor the service were not always robust and did not always identify and address issues. We identified some concerns around infection control, mealtime experience, and staff training. The manager took action to address these concerns following our inspection. However, these issues had not been previously identified or addressed via the providers governance systems. This meant systems required embedding into practice.