Callands Care Home

This assessment identified breaches of the legal regulations relating to the safe management of risks and record keeping. The provider has been asked to submit an action plan to address these concerns.

Risks to people were generally assessed, and measures were put in place to reduce them. However, records were not always complete, and there were occasions where staff had not followed risk management plans in place. Staff had received safeguarding training and understood how to report concerns. However, in one case, records were incomplete, which meant staff were unable to check and ensure all necessary follow up action had been taken to protect the person.

The service had staffing vacancies and used agency staff on a regular basis. Some feedback suggested this impacted on the consistency of care provided to people. The management team was actively recruiting permanent staff, using regular agency staff where possible, and reviewing staffing levels, skills, and leadership arrangements across the home. Staff received induction, training, supervision, and appraisal, and safe recruitment processes were in place.

Care plans were based on assessments and reviewed regularly. Whilst most contained personalised information, some were inaccurate, inconsistent, or lacked sufficient detail to guide staff effectively. People were generally involved in discussions about their care, but improvements were needed to ensure this happened consistently. Several people and relatives told us they had not seen or discussed care plans. In addition, where people lacked capacity to consent, mental capacity assessments and best interest decisions had not always been appropriately recorded. The management team were aware of these themes and were addressing some issues through their governance arrangements.

Medicines were managed safely, with the provider having focused on strengthening medicines management through regular and thorough audits.

The provider had undertaken some refurbishment at the home, however some areas still required decorating and repair. An ongoing improvement programme was in place.

The home manager provided examples of how care had been planned around people's individual wishes and preferences. However, improvements were needed to ensure staff consistently followed the guidance in place and delivered care in line with people's preferences.

Feedback from healthcare and other professionals indicated they had positive working relationships with staff. The management team were open and responsive to our feedback, taking some immediate action in response. They were focused on developing a shared and effective culture with the staff team, however some staff felt morale remained low.

The provider had governance systems and were working on action plans to improve the service and there was an improving picture. A more stable management team was now in place. People were positive they could raise issues or concerns with the home manager. However, we found concerns relating to the safe management of risk and records were not consistently accurate, complete, or up to date. The provider recognised these issues and was taking action to address them. However, further work was required to ensure these processes were embedded and improvements were fully sustained.