About the service:

Nethermoor Care Home provides care and accommodation for up to 33 older people, some of whom are living with dementia. On the day of our inspection there were 25 people living at the home.

People’s experience of using this service:

¿ People and relatives made many positive comments about the home and said they would recommend it. A person said, “It’s a lovely cosy place. I am very happy here.”

¿ The home was well-staffed. A person told us, “If I press my buzzer someone will come pretty quickly. I’ve never had a problem.”

¿ People felt safe at the home. The staff were caring and kind. A person said, “All the carers are eager to help and we have a good old chit-chat every day.”

¿ People said they had their medicines safely and on time. Staff administering medicines did not rush people and reminded them what their medicines were for.

¿ The home was clean and fresh throughout. People and relatives said this was always the case and the cleaning staff worked hard to keep it that way.

¿ People said they were happy with the choice and range of food. A person said, “I think the food here is great. It’s all home cooked. I look forward to my meals.”

¿ People were encouraged to choose their daily routines. A person said, “I can get up and go to bed when I like. It’s all down to me.”

¿ Staff understood people’s needs, wishes and preferences and what was important to them. For example, two people were supported to keep pets in their bedrooms. A person said, “I don’t know what I’d do without [pet].”

¿ People had access to a wide range of activities including crafts, baking, curling, and tea dances. A person said, “Some weeks I’m out nearly every day with the carers, even if it’s just to the shops. It’s nice to get out and have a bit of fresh air and see the world.”

¿ The home was well-managed and people and relatives said the registered manager was friendly and approachable and dealt with any issues they raised.

¿ The registered manager and the provider carried out audits to ensure the home was running effectively and documentation was in order and up to date.

Rating at last inspection:

Nethermoor Care Home was last inspected on 01 March 2016 (report published on 05 July 2016) and was rated as ‘Good’ overall.

Why we inspected:

This was a planned inspection based on the rating at the last inspection.

At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support a rating of ‘Good’. More information can be found in the 'Detailed Findings' below.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about Nethermoor Care Home until we return to visit as per our inspection programme. If any concerning information is received we may inspect sooner.

The inspection took place on 1 March 2016 and was unannounced.

The home is located in Killamarsh on the Derbyshire border. It provides care and support to 33 people who are over the age of 55; some of them are living with dementia. On the day of our inspection there were 30 people living at Nethermoor.

The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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.

Medicines were not always managed safely. Some medicines required storage in a refrigerator and the temperature of the fridge was not monitored consistently. Also, when people required medicine to manage pain, records didn’t show this was given. Body maps showing where medicine patches had been placed on the skin were not up to date.

One to one sessions between staff and their line managers were not up to date and the registered manager told us they had not had supervision for several months.

However, people were happy, comfortable and relaxed with staff and said they felt safe. They received care and support from staff who were appropriately trained and confident to meet individual needs. Safe recruitment processes had been carried out to help ensure people were cared for by staff who had the right skills and were of good character. There were enough staff on duty to meet people’s needs in a timely way. Staff were aware of what to do if they had any safeguarding concerns.

People’s nutritional needs were assessed and records maintained to ensure people were protected from risks associated with eating and drinking.

People were encouraged to make their own life choices and were supported to make decisions about what they would like to do. There were trips out to the local coffee shop which people told us they enjoyed. The local school was involved with the home and teenage children from the school volunteered to support people to be independent outside the home. Access to local health professionals was available when this was necessary.

The registered manager and staff had an understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). People’s consent was sought before care was given.

There was a formal complaints process in place and people were encouraged and supported to express their views. Relatives were involved in planning for their family member’s care where this was appropriate.

On the day of our site visit to Nethermoor there were seventeen people living at the home.

We were told that the registered manager had left her post at the beginning of June 2013. The Care Quality Commission had not been notified of this, although a notification was received the day after the inspection visit.

We carried out a Short Observational Framework for Inspection (a SOFI) during this inspection visit. This involved observing activity in the home for an hour over the lunch period. This enabled us to see how the staff spoke with people, and how they offered help and support. This method of observation is also very useful for identifying issues relating to privacy, dignity and respect. Our observations showed that people were treated with respect, and that staff had good relationships with the people who live at the care home. We saw staff offering support and encouragement in a pleasant, friendly and helpful manner. We particularly noted one staff member who made good eye contact and spoke to people in a very positive and supportive way.

We spoke with three people who live at Nethermoor. One person said: “I’m very settled thank you, the staff work very hard, and I am very happy.” A second person said: “I’ve got everything I need, and the staff are very kind.” The third person said: “Have you seen the painting on the wall outside? We did that with the staff. They worked very hard, and it’s much, much better.”

On the day of our visit to Nethermoor Care Home there were 11 people living at the care home, plus a further 3 who were receiving respite care.

We spoke with two people who live at Nethermoor Care Home. Both said that they were happy living there. They said that the staff were kind, and they thought that their needs were being met.

We asked two people if they felt safe, both said that they did. Our observations during our inspection visit did not raise any questions or concerns with regard to people’s safety.

On the day of our site visit to Nethermoor Care Home there were 15 people living there.

We spoke with two people who live at the care home. Both said that they were very happy living at the care home, and they thought they were being well cared for.

Neither of the people we spoke with were able to give any insight into the improvements or changes that had taken place at Nethermoor recently.

On the day of our site visit to Nethermoor Care Home there were 15 people living there.

We spoke with a number of people who live at Nethermoor Care Home. People told us they were happy living at the care home and that the staff were kind and caring.

Comments were mostly positive and people said that they were happy living at Nethermoor Care Home.

One person told us that they were unable to fully weight bear and required lifting into and out of bed. They told us that this was done by: “one or two staff members” without the use of a hoist. The use of a hoist is the recognised safe way when caring for a person to lift them in and out of bed.

One person told us that they were usually helped to bed by the staff at around at 5:00pm, where they either watched television, or listened to talking books in their bedroom. We asked if this was their choice, and we were told, that it was not always

We observed staff being patient and respectful, ensuring people's dignity and privacy were

respected and maintained. People told us staff knock before entering their bedrooms.

Families told us they were always made welcome by the staff when ever they visit.

People told us they liked living at the home, and they were pleased with the home. People said they were" happy" and but it was noisy sometimes.