Aarondale Care Home

At the last inspection we found the safety, effectiveness and oversight of the service was inadequate, and there were multiple breaches of regulations. Practices at the service placed people at risk of harm. Systems in place to monitor, assess and improve the safety and quality of the service being provided were not robust. People were not supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff were not adequately trained or supported. There were failures in the provider's quality and assurance systems.

At this inspection we checked to see whether improvements had been made and found that they had.

People living at Aarondale Care Home benefited from a service that was committed to driving improvements in order to provide safe, high-quality care and support. The service had responded proactively to the findings at the last inspection and had worked hard to improve both the physical environment and the quality of care provided to people.

Regular health and safety checks were carried out to ensure the home was safe and suitable for people to live in. Risks to people were identified and managed and mitigated by staff to lessen the risk of harm to people.

People told us they enjoyed living at the home and appeared calm and at ease in their surroundings. Both people and their relatives were keen to tell us how well treated they were by staff who were respectful, kind and treated them with the utmost dignity.

Staff recruitment processes ensured staff were safe to work with people and staff received the necessary training and support to help deliver care to people which was tailored to their needs.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

A new registered manager had been reinstated since the last inspection and had overhauled governance processes and practices to help provide better oversight of the service, providing a more accurate picture of

risks and areas for improvement.

Both the registered manager and the provider helped instil a positive culture which was committed to delivering high-quality care to people, and supported staff to ensure they understood, shared and practiced these values. The registered manager was not averse to challenge any shortfalls in practice that fell below these standards.

Since the last inspection, the management team had worked in collaboration and partnership with other relevant organisations to improve the service and help achieve better and more positive outcomes for people.

Although the service had made significant improvements and were no longer in breach of regulation, further time was required to evidence consistency and longevity of good practices.