Aria Court

Updated 27 February 2021

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to care homes with outbreaks of coronavirus, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control practice was safe, and the service was compliant with IPC measures. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 02 February 2021 and was unannounced.

Updated 27 February 2021

This inspection of Aria Court took place on 27 June and 20 July 2018 and was unannounced.

Aria Court provides, accommodation, nursing and personal care for up to 92 adults; some of whom have dementia. It is also registered to provide the regulated activity; treatment, disease, disorder and injury. At the time of this inspection there were 84 people living in four areas of the service, called communities, each of which had separate adapted facilities and communal areas for people and their visitors to use. The communities were Nene, Eastwood, Heron and Wendreda.

At the last inspection on 26 September 2017, the service was rated 'requires improvement' as three breaches of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) 2014 were identified. These breaches were, a lack of activities to promote people’s social inclusion and stimulation. People’s dignity was not always maintained by staff and there were insufficient suitably qualified and competent staff in place to meet people’s needs. Following the last inspection, we asked the provider to complete an action plan to show what they would do by 31 January and 31 March 2018 to improve the key questions is the service safe, is the service caring, is the service responsive and is the service well-led? At this inspection, we found the service had made improvements under the questions is the service caring, responsive and well-led? However, the service needed to make further improvements for the questions of, is the service safe? The service is now rated as good.

Aria Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of this inspection. 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.

People’s medication was not managed safely as accurate records documenting people’s medication administration and medication stock tallies were not always correct due to poor record keeping by staff.

Since the last inspection improvements in activities were now in place to support people’s interests and well-being. However, there were missed opportunities for two staff to engage with the people they were supporting.

Staff had been recruited safely prior to working at the service. Improvements since the last inspection showed that a sufficient number of staff were deployed in a way which met people's needs in a timely manner. People received an effective service that met their assessed needs by staff who had been trained to have the skills they needed. Actions were taken to learn any lessons when things did not always go as planned.

Improvements had been made since the last inspection. People’s privacy was promoted and maintained by staff and people’s dignity was supported by staff assisting them. People received a caring service as their needs were met in a considerate manner and staff knew the people they cared for well. People were involved in their care and staff encouraged people’s independence as far as practicable.

Equipment and technology was used to assist people to receive care and support. However, moving and handling techniques that could put a person and two staff at risk of harm were observed during this inspection. We have made recommendations in regard to further moving and handling training and competency checks for staff.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. People were supported by staff who were knowledgeable about safeguarding and its reporting processes. Risk assessments were in place as guidance for staff to support and monitor people’s assessed risks. People’s confidential records were held securely.

Systems were in place to promote and maintain good infection prevention and control.

People were supported with their eating and drinking to promote their well-being. Staff supported people to access healthcare professional services when this was required. The registered manager and staff team worked with other health and social care organisations to make sure that people's care was coordinated and person centred.

Compliments were received about the service and complaints investigated, responded to and resolved where possible to the complainants’ satisfaction. The registered manager and their staff team worked together with other organisations to ensure people’s well-being. Staff worked well with other external health professionals to make sure that peoples end-of-life care was well managed and this helped ensure people could have a dignified death.

The registered manager led by example and encouraged an open and honest culture within their staff team. Improvements had been made since the last inspection with the monitoring of the service using audit and governance systems to drive forward any improvements required.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.