What the CQC found at Emerald House

Inspectors found that staff treated people with kindness, respect and compassion. People were supported to maintain their privacy, dignity and independence.

“People received kind and compassionate care from staff who used positive, respectful language which people understood and responded well to.” from the report

Staff knew people's needs, preferences and progress. Care plans included personal information such as likes, dislikes, health needs and preferred support.

“People received personalised care and support from a team of staff who were familiar with their needs and preferences.” from the report

Recruitment checks were completed, and inspectors found enough staff on duty to meet people's needs.

“Recruitment files showed all pre-employment checks including had been made to ensure only staff who were suitable to work with people were employed.” from the report

The home worked with health professionals and supported people to stay in contact with family and friends. People were also encouraged to take part in activities, courses and employment where this matched their wishes.

“People who were living away from their local area were able to stay in regular contact with friends and family via telephone and other communication methods and also visited them regularly.” from the report

Some staff medicines competency checks were out of date and did not cover controlled drugs. Storage, returns records, 'as and when required' guidance and opening dates for some medicines were also inadequate.

“The failure to ensure medicines were safely managed was a breach of Regulation 12 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014.” from the report

Environmental and behaviour-related risk assessments did not always contain enough detail to protect people. Inspectors found an uneven covered trench outside that created an unnecessary falls risk.

“Risk assessments did not contain enough detail to mitigate risks to individuals within the home, for example, the home was having an extension built and groundworks were being done outside.” from the report

The home's quality assurance systems had not identified or addressed the problems found during the inspection. This meant there was not enough evidence that safety was being properly managed.

“Governance systems were not effective. They had not identified or addressed the issues we found at inspection.” from the report

Staff had not completed training on the Mental Capacity Act. CQC recommended that the provider update staff knowledge and practice.

“We recommend the provider follow current guidance and update their practice accordingly.” from the report

The provider was developing the premises, but some maintenance had not been dealt with. Inspectors noted that a shower had not been repaired for some time and some decoration needed updating.

“Some maintenance issues had not been managed, for example, the shower in the bathroom had not been repaired for some time and decoration in parts of the environment required updating.” from the report