Valmark House

Staff knew people well and provided compassionate support. Relatives and professionals also gave positive feedback about the care.

“People received kind and compassionate care by staff who knew them well.” from the report

People were supported to make decisions, personalise their rooms and do tasks they could manage themselves. Staff used the least restrictive approach.

“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests” from the report

There was low staff turnover, so people were supported by staff they knew. Staff received induction, training and regular supervision.

“People benefited from a low turnover of staff, which meant they received consistent support from staff they knew.” from the report

Inspectors found uncovered radiators, an unsecured cupboard containing cleaning fluids and wardrobes that had not been checked for a falling risk. These issues were corrected during the inspection.

“On the first day of our inspection, not all radiators had covers on to protect from the potential risk of skin burns when in use.” from the report

Staff were not always following effective infection control practice because textile towels were being used instead of paper towels. A paper towel dispenser was installed during the inspection.

“However, staff were not always following effective IPC, where they were using textile towels, rather than paper, as part of their IPC.” from the report

A person's prescribed dose was correct, but the medicines administration record did not reflect the medicine being given. The manager corrected the record during the inspection.

“However, although the person was receiving the right dosage medicine, it did not reflect what was being given on the person's medication administration record [MAR].” from the report

People had spontaneous choices and outings, but some individual interests had not been supported for some time. The manager said they would look at restarting activities such as swimming and trampolining.

“Although this provided spontaneity, more planned activities were needed, ensuring enough staff cover, to support people's individual interests.” from the report

Quality checks had not identified several risks. There was no service improvement plan, no effective emergency staffing plan, and the manager did not have enough protected time for management duties.

“The provider's systems and processes that assessed, monitored, mitigated risk and keep them updated on best practice were not fully effective.” from the report