Critchill Court

Updated 14 December 2022

The inspection

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (the Act) as part of our regulatory functions. We checked whether the provider was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Act. We looked at the overall quality of the service and provided a rating for the service under the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector, a member of the medicines team and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Critchil Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Critchill Court is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We reviewed information we had received about the service. We sought feedback from the local authority. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 16 people and 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We spoke with 14 members of staff including the registered manager, deputy manager and the providers senior management team. We received feedback from 1 visiting professionals who worked with the home.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people's care records. We checked 12 people’s medicines records and associated care records. We also looked at arrangements for administering, storing and managing medicines. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 14 December 2022

Critchill Court is a residential care home registered to provide accommodation and personal care for up to 46 people. There are two parts to the home; Tree Tops and Cedar Oaks. Cedar Oaks can accommodate 12 people and Tree Tops can accommodate 34 people. At the time of the inspection there were 36 people living in the home.

People’s experience of using this service and what we found

People, their relatives and staff told us people were safe living at Critchill Court. Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. Risks to people were assessed and mitigated. There were enough staff to meet people’s needs and staff were recruited safely.

People were given their medicines safely. There were a range of health and safety checks in place to ensure the environment was safe. Learning from incidents and accidents was cascaded to the team. There were appropriate infection control measures in place.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

People enjoyed the food and the mealtime experience was positive. People’s healthcare needs were met and planned for. Staff received a timetable of training; some staff required refresher training in some subjects, the registered manager had a plan in place to address this. Staff supervisions and appraisals had been identified as an area to improve, the registered manager had a plan in place to address this. Staff felt supported. The environment was suitable for people living with dementia.

People had access to a wide range of activities to keep them active, involved and stimulated. People and their relatives felt able to raise any concerns. There were plans in place to improve people’s end of life care plans.

There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service. People, their relatives and staff were positive about the management of the service. People liked living at Critchill court and commented positively about the staff team. There was a positive culture within the service, staff said morale had improved and were passionate about the people they supported.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 21 June 2019) and there were breaches of regulation.

The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.