About the service:

Robertson Nursing Home is a nursing home that is registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 41 people. At the time of our inspection there were 32 people living at the service, a number of whom were living with dementia.

People’s experience of using this service:

People were looked after and supported by a consistent, caring and well established service. People were safe because of the experienced care and effective staff. One relative told us, “I am very happy with my mum being here. The care from the staff and manager is wonderful.” There was a welcoming atmosphere throughout the home which came from the happy people living there.

People’s needs, choices and preferences were recorded in person centred care plans. The food at the service was enjoyed by people as they were able to choose what they ate from a menu with variety. The care records enabled staff to correctly provide care and support for people in a safe way. Complaints and concerns were recorded, responded to and used to consider improvements at the service.

People’s end of life care was considered and detailed to ensure that they would be comfortable remaining at the service. There were activities for people to take part in each day which involved the staff and anyone who wanted to join in.

Staff were led by a pro-active and friendly manager who consistently considered how to improve the service. A relative told us, “ As a family member you are always greeted with a smile here. This comes from the management. Both the manager and deputy manager are excellent at their jobs.”

Rating at last inspection:

At our last inspection in July 2016 the home was rated ‘Good’.

Why we inspected:

This inspection was carried out in line with our inspection methdology in that we scheduled the inspection based on our previous rating.

The inspection took place on 13 July 2016 and was unannounced. This was a comprehensive inspection.

Robertson Nursing Home is registered to provide accommodation and nursing care for up to 41 older people, many of whom were living with dementia. On the day of our inspection there were 37 people living at the home.

The home had a registered manager in post. 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.

Staff understood their role in safeguarding people and had attended training. They demonstrated understanding of how to recognise signs of abuse and who to contact if they suspect abuse.

Accidents and incidents were being reported where appropriate. Staff routinely carried out risk assessments and created plans to minimise known hazards whilst encouraging people’s independence. Policies and procedures were in place to keep people safe in the event of emergencies. Fire drills and fire alarm tests were carried out along with regular audits of emergency and contingency planning.

There were sufficient staff present to safely meet people’s needs. Staff had undergone checks to ensure that they were of good character to be working with people. Staff had appropriate training and support to meet the needs of people living at the home.

People’s medicines were administered safely. Healthcare professionals had a lot of input into people’s care and staff observed their guidance in providing care to people.

People’s legal rights were protected as staff provided care in line with the Mental Capacity Act (2005). Correct procedures were followed when depriving people of their liberty. Staff followed the guidance of healthcare professionals where appropriate and we saw evidence of staff working alongside healthcare professionals to achieve outcomes for people.

People told us that they enjoyed the food and we saw evidence of people being provided with choice and also being involved in writing menus. People had a good selection of activities to be involved in.

People’s records were kept thorough and up to date with detailed assessments when people were admitted to the home and regular reviews.

People, their relatives and health care professionals were overwhelmingly positive about the care and management provided at this home. Comments about the registered manager, the staff and the service included, ‘Fantastic’, ‘Proactive’ and ‘Exceptionally good’. Staff felt very well supported by the registered manager. People were cared for by staff that were made to feel valued. Many staff had worked at the home for a long time. Staff had many opportunities to further their development and their careers.

The registered manager found creative ways to encourage staff to reflect on their practice and to improve. There was a positive culture amongst the staff team that permeated to the people that they supported and their relatives. Staff were encouraged to make suggestions and the registered manager created an inclusive atmosphere amongst staff and people.

The registered manager had made good links with the local community and other organisations to develop good practice amongst staff as well as improving practice in social care overall through participation in studies and initiatives.

Robertson Nursing Home can accommodate up to 41 people. At the time of our visit we were informed that there were currently 37 people living at the home. We looked around the home which was clean and but smelt of unpleasant odours. The deputy manager advised us that the home’s plumbing was being refurbished and that the carpets were to be replaced once the refurbishment work had been completed. All the room were single occupancy with hand basins and some had ensuite hand basins and toilets. The home had recently increased the number of bed spaces by three and these rooms also had ensuite showers. We saw that individuals had personalised their room with photographs, books, TV’s and pictures. There was a lift so people could access the first and second floor.

During our visit we spoke with three people who use the service, a relative and a visitor. We also spoke with five staff including the deputy manager. We spent time observing how staff interacted and supported people. We saw staff treat people in a sensitive, respectful and professional manner.

One person told us that they were “very happy living here and that it was very nice indeed”. Other people told us that they were happy. A relative we spoke with told us that they were “very happy with the home and had no complaints at all”. Another visitor told us that the person they visit was always presentable and that there had been an improvement in the person’s health.

We spoke with people, who used the service and their relatives and they were extremely positive about the home. One person told us ‘the care here is lovely’ whilst another said ‘we can do what we like, when we like’. People were able to exercise choices in how their care was provided and where.

The care was tailored to people’s needs. We spoke with a person who told us that their relative had dementia and that since they had moved to the home the quality of the care provided meant that their relative had flourished. People told us that staff had spent time with them when they moved into the home to identify their needs.

People were safeguarded against the risk of abuse because staff had received training and understood their role in the safeguarding process.

Staff received an induction when they started to work at the home and received ongoing training, support and supervision.

The provider had systems in place designed to monitor the quality of the service that they provided.