Catterall House Care Home was inspected on the 03 and 04 January 2019 and the first day was unannounced. We revisited the home on the 09 January 2019. This was to complete the inspection and meet the registered provider.

Catterall House Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Catterall House is located on the outskirts of Garstang and is within easy reach of the Cities of Preston and Lancaster. Accommodation is provided for up to 24 people who need help with personal care. Most bedrooms are of single occupancy. Bathrooms are located throughout the home. A variety of sitting rooms are accessible and a separate dining room is provided. There is parking available at the home. The majority of bedroom accommodation is for single occupancy although there are some shared bedrooms for people who would prefer this option. A range of aids and adaptations are in place for people whose mobility might be affected.

In May 2018 Catterall House Care Home had been purchased by a new registered provider and was in the process of adopting new working processes, procedures and paperwork. The registered manager at Catterall House Care Home had remained the same. This is the first inspection of the service under the new ownership arrangements.

At the time of the inspection visit there was a manager who was registered with the Care Quality Commission. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We found individual risk assessments were carried out in key areas such as nutrition, falls and skin integrity. Care records also contained information regarding people’s preferences and social histories. On the first day of the inspection we found information was sometimes difficult to find and information was not always present. The registered manager explained they were currently trialling new documentation and would ensure the records were updated. Prior to the inspection being concluded we saw this had been carried out. Staff we spoke with were knowledgeable of people’s needs and the action required to minimise identified risk.

We have made a recommendation regarding the documentation of people’s care needs.

Staff told us and we saw documentation which evidenced staff attended training to enable them to maintain and update their skills. We noted not all staff had attended the required training. The registered manager told us this was as additional staff had been employed by the home as the numbers of people living at the home had increased. They further explained training was planned to be completed by the 01 April 2019. Staff we spoke with confirmed training was planned. We also saw evidence and staff confirmed, they had regular supervision with their line manager to discuss their performance.

People and relatives we spoke with confirmed they were consulted in decision making and the planning of care. One person who lived at the home told us, “Oh yes, they talk to me, we chat and they write down what I say.”

We checked to see safe recruitment procedures were followed. We found the files contained employment checks, references and a full employment history.

People and relatives told us staff were friendly and respectful. We observed caring and warm interactions between people who lived at the home and staff.

We found the home was clean and tidy and staff were seen to wear protective clothing when this was required. Personal protective equipment was available in key areas of the home for staff to access if this was needed.

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