Park House has had a further visit from the Care Quality Commission. The latest unannounced inspection, which took place in the last week of March, was the fourth the islands’ residential care home has had in less than 18 months. This time it has been given a clean bill of health.
"This is very welcome news," said the Council’s Community Services chairman Richard McCarthy. "There was a period of considerable management upheaval last year and this big pat on the back from the CQC is a tribute to the hard work that has been put in by the whole Park House team."
The Council provides a service for up to 12 predominantly older people at Park House, including individuals requiring dementia care. The service is also registered to supply personal care to people in their own homes.
Inspectors looked at the personal care and treatment records of those using the service. They observed how people were being cared for at each stage of their care and treatment. They talked to service users and staff, carers and family members.
As with earlier inspections, Park House residents were again full of compliments about staff. One this time said: "They are kind and helpful and come to help me whenever I need them." People who received a domiciliary service were equally enthusiastic. One commented: "They come at the same time each day, rain or shine and will do anything extra I need."
On each of the three previous occasions, CQC inspectors had identified areas for improvement. This time all five standards checked were met. Inspectors found that staff were appropriately supervised with a training programme in place to support them to carry out their roles effectively. They found that people received care, treatment and support that met their needs and protected their rights.
Inspectors judged there to be an effective system in place to monitor and assess the quality of service people received, sufficient qualified, skilled and experienced staff to meet peoples’ needs while records were kept securely and could be located promptly when needed.
Following the CQC’s previous inspection report on Park House last October and just a month after he had joined the Council as Adult Social Care Manager, Gareth Peters said: "I’m aware we have plenty to do. But we will work closely with the CQC and our health partners to ensure the required actions are taken. They are all achievable."
Today Gareth said: "The team at Park House has been through a difficult period of scrutiny and achieved what we set out to achieve. But no-one here is going to be complacent about the CQC’s findings. We will use their endorsement to continue to develop good practice and high standards."
Gareth had a special word of praise for Park House’s new manager Jean Sleigh. "She has brought energy, leadership and stability to running the operation,’ he said. Islander Jean, who had been working as a nurse in Bath, only took on the role at the residential home last November. A former health practice nurse on Scilly, she also worked in Park House itself for a number of years."