Background to this inspection
Updated
30 June 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 team consisted of one inspector.
Service and service type
Hastings 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. Hastings Court is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.
Registered Manager
This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.
Notice of inspection
This inspection was unannounced.
What we did before the inspection
We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.
During the inspection
We looked around the service and met with the people who lived there. We spoke with 15 people to understand their views and experiences of the service and we observed how staff supported people. 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 the registered manager, deputy manager, community leads (who are care leaders on each unit) and ten further staff members.
We reviewed the care records of ten people and a range of other documents. For example, medicine records, staff training records and records relating to the management of the service. We also looked at staff rotas, and records relating to health and safety. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We spoke with three relatives and two health care professionals.
Updated
30 June 2022
About the service
Hastings Court provides accommodation and nursing care for up to 80 people, who have nursing needs, including poor mobility and diabetes, as well as those living with various stages of dementia. Accommodation was provided over three floors and split into four units. Peony unit provided nursing care, Poppy and Sunflower units provided care and support for people who lived with dementia and Bluebell unit provided 13 residential beds. There were 74 people living in the home during our inspection.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
People received safe care and support by staff trained to recognise signs of abuse or risk and understood what to do to safely support people. One person said, “I’m very content here, feel safer than I did at home.” Care plans and risk assessments meant peoples’ safety and well-being were promoted and protected. 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. We observed medicines being given safely to people by appropriately trained staff, who had been assessed as competent. The home was clean, well-maintained and comfortable. There were enough staff to meet people's needs. Safe recruitment practices had been followed before staff started working at the service.
The provider’s governance systems were being used consistently to improve the service. There had been improvements made, to areas identified from audits, such as adjustments made to the meal service and the introduction of hospitality staff, who worked alongside the care team.
The manager and staff team were committed to continuously improve and had plans to develop the service and improve their care delivery to a good standard. Feedback from staff about the leadership was positive, “We are a strong and supportive team, who want to deliver the best care we can.”
For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk
Rating at last inspection
The last rating for this service was Good (published 03 March 2018).
Why we inspected
The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about staffing and delivery of care. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.
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.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Hastings Court on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.