Archived: Carders Court Care Home

Carders Court provides accommodation and support for up to 150 people. The service assists people in meeting their personal care needs, provides nursing care as well as supporting people living with dementia. On the nursing unit there are 15 transitional beds contracted by the NHS and supported by the Urgent Care Team.

The home is purpose-built, single storey and comprises of five separate houses, each with 30 single bedrooms. There is plenty of car parking to the front of the home and there are garden areas around each unit for residents to sit out in. The home is situated in the Castleton area of Rochdale.

This was an unannounced inspection carried out on the 21, 22 and 27 January 2015. At the time of our inspection there were 143 people living at the home.

The home had a registered manager however they were not available at the time of the inspection. Interim management arrangements had been put in place to support the service. On the third day of our inspection we were informed the registered manager had resigned. Alternative management arrangements were being made. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

We carried out a routine inspection in July 2013. All areas we assessed at that time met the relevant regulations.

At this inspection we spent time observing care and support in communal areas, spoke to people who used the service, their visitors, staff and visiting health professionals. We also looked at care, staff and management records.

People’s care plans and monitoring records were not as updated or accurate as they should have been so that people’s current and changing needs were clearly reflected. Staff did not always have access to people’s care plans to direct them in the care and support people needed. People’s care records were not always stored securely so that confidentiality was maintained.

Staff had not consistently been offered the training and support needed to carry out their roles. Training in areas of clinical practice and dementia care were needed to support the specific needs of people living at the home. Opportunities for staff to discuss their training and development needs were needed so that staff were supported and clearly guided in their work.

Policies and procedures were available to guide care staff in areas of protection, such as safeguarding adults and MCA and DoLS. Staff spoken with were able to tell us what they would do if an allegation of abuse was made to them or if they suspected that abuse had occurred. Some staff said they needed training to update their knowledge.

Managers were able to clearly demonstrate their understanding of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS); these provide legal safeguards for people who may be unable to make their own decisions. When necessary applications had been made to lawfully deprive people so that they were protected. However care staff we spoke with did not understand the principles of the MCA and DoLS procedures and how this informed their practice.

Suitable arrangements were in place in relation to fire safety and the servicing of equipment was undertaken so that people were kept safe. All areas of the home were clean, well maintained and accessible; making it a safe environment for people to live and work in. We saw procedures were in place to deal with any emergency that could affect the provision of care. We have made a recommendation about the design or layout of the environment for people with living dementia to promote their well-being and independence.

During the inspection we found people were cared for by staff that were patient and kind. Staff were seen to understand the individual needs of people and were respectful when offering support. People we spoke told us the staff were helpful and that they felt safe. Relatives told us and records showed they were consulted with and involved in the assessment, care planning and reviews to make sure people’s needs and wishes were planned for appropriately.

People were protected from inadequate nutrition and dehydration. However we received a mixed response in relation to the quality and variety of meals offered. Managers were aware improvements were needed and were working with kitchen staff to address this. Care records showed that staff monitored people’s weight and where necessary had access to dietican’s if they were nutritionally at risk.

We found the management and administration of people’s medicines was safe. Staff worked in co-operation with healthcare professionals to ensure that people received appropriate care and treatment.

We saw that relevant checks had been made when employing new staff. Sufficient numbers of staff were available to support people. We were shown how these were reviewed to make sure that staff resources were planned at the times when people needed them.

Systems were in place to show the service was being monitored and reviewed. People told us the managers and staff were approachable and felt confident they would listen and respond to any concerns raised.

You can see what action we have told the provider to take at the back of the full version of the report.