St Marys Chanterlands Care Home

Overall, people received kind and compassionate care from staff who knew them well and were committed to meeting their needs. People and relatives described staff as caring and approachable, and there was positive feedback about meals, choices and the increased range of activities. A visitor described staff as “amazing” and said the service had a “lovely warm atmosphere.” Staff also spoke positively about teamwork and leadership. A staff member said, “This is one of the best homes I have worked in.”

Staff understood safeguarding responsibilities, felt able to raise concerns and were confident managers would act upon them. People were supported to access healthcare services. Staff worked with external professionals, and appropriate arrangements were in place around consent and safeguarding. The service was generally clean, staff received training and supervision, and safe recruitment processes were followed. Staff described the registered manager and senior staff as approachable and supportive. A staff member said the registered manager was “great, always approachable and listens” and would act if there was an issue.

However, improvements were needed to governance, staffing, record keeping, and the dementia care environment. Records did not consistently demonstrate that people received care in line with their care plans, including repositioning, safety checks, modified diets, medicines and the use of safety equipment. There was no identifiable evidence from the sample of records reviewed that people had come to harm due to these findings, however improvement was needed to be able to provide assurance that robust recording of care was in place.

The part of the service for people living with dementia lacked accessible signage, visual contrast and other features to help people orientate themselves. Staff and relatives raised concerns about staffing during evenings and nights. One staff member said that low staffing levels could have potentially affect “the quality and safety of residents.”

We did not identify evidence that people had experienced harm because of the concerns found. The provider was open and responsive throughout the assessment and acted promptly following feedback. The registered manager introduced additional checks, strengthened audits, provided staff supervision and began improving care records and oversight arrangements. The provider also agreed to review staffing and take action to improve the dementia environment. These actions, together with the knowledge and responsiveness of staff and managers, reduced the immediate risk to people. However, the provider needed to ensure improvements were fully embedded and sustained.