• Care Home
  • Care home

St Mary's

Overall: Requires improvement read more about inspection ratings

St. Marys Court, Scunthorpe, DN15 8UP (01724) 865461

Provided and run by:
Visionary Care Ltd

Important: The provider of this service changed. See old profile

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 21 April 2023

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.

Service and service type

St Mary’s 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. St Mary’s 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 reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. 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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff including the registered manager, admin assistant, care coordinator and care workers.

We reviewed a range of records. This included 6 people's care records and multiple medication and food and fluid records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Overall inspection

Requires improvement

Updated 21 April 2023

About the service

St Mary's is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 47 people. The service provides support to people with dementia, mental health, older people and younger adults. At the time of our inspection there were 41 people using the service in one adapted building.

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

The provider had not ensured all staff were suitably trained or supported to perform their roles. Some staff required refresher training to ensure they had the knowledge and skills to safely meet people’s needs. Staff did not receive regular supervision however; staff felt the registered manager was supportive and approachable.

Medicines were managed safely however, guidance for staff relating to medicines which were prescribed on an ‘as and when required basis’ (PRN) were not in place. We have made a recommendation about this.

Records relating to people’s fluid intake were not regularly reviewed to ensure people had enough to drink. We have made a recommendation about this.

Care plans and risk assessments were person centred and reflective of people's current needs.

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.

There were enough staff. Staff were recruited safely and received an induction to ensure they had the skills and knowledge to undertake their role.

Regular activities were carried out to promote social inclusion.

Systems were in place to protect people from abuse. Staff demonstrated a good level of understanding in relation to safeguarding. Appropriate referrals to the local safeguarding team had been made. Relatives and staff spoke positively about the registered manager and felt able to raise concerns and were confident that these would be addressed.

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 20 July 2022) and there were multiple 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.

At our last inspection we recommended that the provider made improvements in relation to safeguarding, staffing levels and staff support and supervision. At this inspection we found the provider had made improvements on staffing levels and safeguarding but had not made improvements in relation to staff supervision.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced inspection in May 2022 and found improvements were needed. We undertook this focused inspection to check the service had followed their action plan and to confirm improvements were made. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions safe, effective, responsive and well-led which contain those improvements.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

Follow up

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