Delamer House

This report from the Care Quality Commission (CQC) provides an overview of Delamer House, a care home offering accommodation and personal care for up to 57 older people, including those with dementia. The inspection focused on key areas of care provision to assess the quality and safety of the service. Overall, the inspection found that Delamer House is a well-regarded establishment, with specific strengths in how residents are cared for and supported. The report highlights numerous positive aspects of the service, while also identifying areas where further attention and development are needed to ensure the highest standards are consistently met.

On safety, staff are recruited safely and are attentive to residents' needs, responding promptly. However, there were instances where environmental risk assessments and incident analyses could be more thorough, and not all necessary notifications to the Commission were made.

In terms of how effective the care is, residents are supported to have balanced diets with good quality, appetising food, and have excellent access to healthcare professionals. While improvements to the environment have been made, further enhancements are recommended to make the service more dementia-friendly, and knowledge of oral healthcare best practices could be further developed.

The caring aspect of the service is a clear strength, with residents and their families consistently praising the kindness, compassion, and respect shown by staff. Staff demonstrate a deep understanding of residents' individual needs and preferences, fostering a sense of community and promoting independence.

Regarding responsiveness, residents are actively involved in planning their care, and their needs are well-met through detailed and personalised care plans. The service also offers a good range of activities and demonstrates awareness of residents' communication needs, though the manager was not aware of the Accessible Information Standard.

The service was not always well-led. While the registered manager has implemented improvements based on feedback, there are specific areas where their knowledge of regulatory responsibilities, such as notifying the Commission of DoLs authorisations and understanding safeguarding thresholds for unwitnessed falls, needs to be updated. Further development is also required in ensuring environmental checks and fire risk assessments are fully compliant with national guidelines.