Care service description

Sovereign House is a large detached property, with a lift to the first floor, set in its own grounds in Herne Bay. It is located two minutes’ walk from the beach and town centre and close to shops, cinema, theatre and post office. It is a privately owned service providing personal care and support for up to ten older people, some of whom may also be living with dementia. There were eight people living at the service at the time of the inspection.

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

Rating at this inspection

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

People told us they felt safe living at Sovereign House. Risks to people were identified, assessed and monitored to help keep people as safe as possible. People were protected from the risks of abuse and avoidable harm.

Recruitment checks were completed to make sure staff were honest, trustworthy and reliable and safe to work with people. There were enough staff on each shift to support people. People received effective care from staff who were experienced and had the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles.

People were supported to have as much choice and control of their lives as they wanted. Staff knew the importance of giving people choices and gaining people’s consent. Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Changes in people’s health were identified quickly and staff contacted people’s health care professionals for support. People’s medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines in the ways their healthcare professional had prescribed. People were offered a balanced diet and food they liked.

People told us they were happy living at Sovereign House. They said they were treated with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect. Their religious and cultural preferences were supported and respected. People’s confidentiality was respected and their records were stored securely.

People and their relatives were involved in planning their care and support. People received care and support that was individual to them and their needs and preferences. Staff knew people and their relatives well. Care plans gave staff the basic information they needed to provide people’s care and support. We have made a recommendation for the provider seek advice and guidance from a reputable source to further enhance the care plans.

People had enough to do during the day and were supported to follow their interests and take part in social activities. People maintained friendships and relationships.

People and their relatives knew how to complain or raise concerns. The provider’s complaints procedure was given to people as part of the service user guide when they moved into Sovereign House. People had no complaints.

People, their relatives and staff felt the service was well-led. The provider and registered manager had a clear vision of the quality of service they required staff to provide and this was shared by the staff team. Staff had confidence in the management team and said they felt supported.

People, their relatives, staff and health professionals were encouraged to provide feedback and were involved in developing the service. Regular and effective audits were completed. Action was taken when shortfalls were identified. Notifications had been submitted to CQC in line with guidance.

Care service description

Sovereign House is a large detached property, with a lift to the first floor, set in its own grounds in Herne Bay. It is located two minutes’ walk from the beach and town centre and close to shops, cinema, theatre and post office. It is a privately owned service providing personal care and support for up to ten older people, some of whom may also be living with dementia. There were eight people living at the service at the time of the inspection.

Rating at last inspection

At the last inspection, the service was rated Good.

Rating at this inspection

At this inspection we found the service remained Good.

Why the service is rated Good

People told us they felt safe living at Sovereign House. Risks to people were identified, assessed and monitored to help keep people as safe as possible. People were protected from the risks of abuse and avoidable harm.

Recruitment checks were completed to make sure staff were honest, trustworthy and reliable and safe to work with people. There were enough staff on each shift to support people. People received effective care from staff who were experienced and had the knowledge and skills to carry out their roles.

People were supported to have as much choice and control of their lives as they wanted. Staff knew the importance of giving people choices and gaining people’s consent. Staff understood the requirements of the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards.

Changes in people’s health were identified quickly and staff contacted people’s health care professionals for support. People’s medicines were managed safely and people received their medicines in the ways their healthcare professional had prescribed. People were offered a balanced diet and food they liked.

People told us they were happy living at Sovereign House. They said they were treated with kindness, compassion, dignity and respect. Their religious and cultural preferences were supported and respected. People’s confidentiality was respected and their records were stored securely.

People and their relatives were involved in planning their care and support. People received care and support that was individual to them and their needs and preferences. Staff knew people and their relatives well. Care plans gave staff the basic information they needed to provide people’s care and support. We have made a recommendation for the provider seek advice and guidance from a reputable source to further enhance the care plans.

People had enough to do during the day and were supported to follow their interests and take part in social activities. People maintained friendships and relationships.

People and their relatives knew how to complain or raise concerns. The provider’s complaints procedure was given to people as part of the service user guide when they moved into Sovereign House. People had no complaints.

People, their relatives and staff felt the service was well-led. The provider and registered manager had a clear vision of the quality of service they required staff to provide and this was shared by the staff team. Staff had confidence in the management team and said they felt supported.

People, their relatives, staff and health professionals were encouraged to provide feedback and were involved in developing the service. Regular and effective audits were completed. Action was taken when shortfalls were identified. Notifications had been submitted to CQC in line with guidance.

There were seven people using the service and we met, spent time with or spoke with six people. Everyone we spoke with said that they were happy with the service.

One person said “I am very happy here. The staff are so kind. They look after me well.” Another person said “I am quite happy. The staff are very good.”

A visitor told us “(Our relative) is happy here. We have no complaints. They always keep us informed and make us feel welcome when we visit.” Another visitor said “This is a lovely place. It lifts your heart when you walk in here.”

People said that they were happy with their bedrooms and facilities. People told us that the food was very good and that they always had a choice of meals. People said that enjoyed the organised activities.

People’s health and personal care needs were supported and the service worked closely with health and social care professionals to maintain and improve people’s health and well-being. People were treated with dignity and respect and the service responded to people’s changing needs.

Checks were made on staff, as part of the recruitment process, to make sure that people were safe and supported by appropriate staff. The service was well managed and was safe and well maintained.

We made an unannounced visit to the service and spoke to people who use the service, some visitors, the deputy manager and to staff members. There were ten people using the service. We met and spoke to most of them and everyone we spoke to said or expressed that they were very happy living at Sovereign House.

People told us or expressed that they felt safe and well looked after. They said that the staff were kind and caring.

People said they could talk about any problems to the manager and to the other staff. People said that they would be listened to and any problem would be sorted out.

People looked happy and relaxed in the company of each other and staff. People said “I would not like to be anywhere else”.

People said that the home was clean and that their bedrooms were kept clean.

People told us that the food was good. People said “It is quite nice food. The cook is very good” and “We have very good food”.

Everyone we spoke to said that they were happy living at Sovereign House. They told us the staff were kind and helpful.

One person told us “They (staff) are very good to me. I have a very nice room. The staff are very good, very helpful”.

Another person said “I am very happy here. The staff are very kind and the food is lovely”. They said “The girls (staff) are very nice. Everyone is very kind”.

Everyone we spoke to said that the food was good or very good. One person said “You get a choice. The manager is lovely, I have no complaints”.

People told us that they felt safe and that they thought there were enough staff.

One person said “Yes there are enough staff. They are always there when you need them”.

Another person said “If you want anything you ring your bell and they (staff) come quickly. In the middle of the night, I ring down and they come straight up with a drink for me”.

People using the service told us that they had been given the choice to move to the home and had been to visit and meet the staff before they had made their decision. They told us that they had been involved in their care plan and had been asked what support they needed. People told us that they were able to make important decisions about their health and their care and that those decisions were respected. Everyone told us that they were generally happy with the service, but that some improvements could be made. These included having a choice of meals and being able to go out more often. One person commented that they had ‘not been out of the home for several months and that it would be nice to get some fresh air’.

People told us that they received the help and care they needed, but that they were also encouraged to do things for themselves to stay independent. One person told us that the staff ‘always ask me what help I need’. They told us that the staff gave them their medicines at the right time were quick to arrange appointments on their behalf with their GP or other health professionals when they needed them. People told us that there were enough staff to meet their needs and that they liked the staff. One person said “the staff really look after us well”. Everyone we spoke with said they were happy with the facilities in the home and comments included “My room is very comfortable” and “I am very happy here, you can choose to go to your own room or spend time in the lounge”.