Allan Court

Updated 10 March 2022

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 COVID-19, we are conducting reviews to ensure that the Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) practice is safe and that services are compliant with IPC measures. We also received information of concern about infection prevention and control at this service. This was a targeted inspection looking at the IPC practices the provider has in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 21 February 2022 and was unannounced.

Updated 10 March 2022

This inspection took place on 20 and 22 November 2018 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

Allan Court is registered as a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single packages under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. The service is registered to provide care for up to 60 people, some of which are living with dementia or have other mental health needs. At the time of the inspection, 57 people were living at the service.

We completed a full comprehensive inspection in April 2016 and rated the service ‘good’ overall.

At this inspection we found the service remained ‘good’ and met all the fundamental standards we inspected against. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection. Full detailed findings can be found in the last inspection report.

The service had a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with CQC to manage the service. Like 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.

The registered manager understood their responsibilities with regard to safeguarding and staff had been trained in safeguarding vulnerable adults.

Accidents and incidents were recorded, risk assessments were in place and appropriate health and safety checks were carried out.

Medicines were managed safely. Including arrangements for the safe administration, storage and disposal of medicines.

Enough staff were on duty to meet the needs of people who used the service. The provider continued to have a robust recruitment procedure in place and carried out suitable employment checks on the staff they employed. Staff were trained to meet people’s needs and received regular supervisions and appraisals.

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

People's dietary and hydration needs were met with a range of foods for people to choose from.

Discussions with people and staff confirmed that external health care professionals were involved should this be required.

Staff at the service ensured people were at the heart of their care and support. Staff and the management team were reported to be kind, caring and considerate. Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence where possible.

People’s needs were assessed before they came to live at the service and care plans were put in place to address individual needs.

Although we were not made aware of anyone who had reached the end of their life stage of care, staff told us they would work with healthcare providers to ensure people were well looked after.

People were protected from social isolation with various activities taking place, including trips out.

The service sought feedback on a regular basis and had received numerous positive comments and compliments. People told us they knew how to make a complaint if they needed to and a clear process was in place.

The provider had an effective quality assurance process in place which they were reviewing. Staff said they felt supported by the management team. We made one recommendation in relation to recording of provider visits.