Dovecote Residential Care Home

Date of Assessment: 6 to 20 December 2024. Dovecote Residential Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care and accommodation for up to 61 people who are older, have physical health conditions or are living with dementia. At the time of the inspection 45 people used the service. At the last inspection we identified breaches in relation to person-centred care, medicines management, infection prevention and control, management oversight of the service and staffing issues. At this inspection improvements had been made and the service was no longer in breach of regulations. The management team had worked closely with staff to change the culture to one whereby staff always put residents at the forefront of the service. Staff were passionate about delivering good care and support. Staff ensured best practice guidance was followed. Staff regularly ran ‘sing for the brain’ sessions, which are known to assist people living with dementia retain their skills. The registered manager also employed the ‘Let’s move it’ team to provide people with the opportunity to join in physical activity. Staff had received training around providing good dementia care, so stepped in to meet people’s needs, which supported individuals to retain their communication and social skills. Assessments were completed in a timely manner and were accurate. Staff actively used these assessments to understand people’s ongoing needs. The actions staff took from these assessments had led to a very positive outcome for people and the reduction of their distress. People and relatives were very positive about how staff had supported individuals to continue to enjoy a good quality of life. The activity co-ordinators and housekeepers along with the staff team were passionate about providing a programme of events which were tailored to everyone’s tastes. Staff worked closely with people, and in very creative ways, to ensure they had balanced and nutritious diets.