All inspections: Eaton Court Residential Home

We carried out an unannounced focused inspection of this service on 23 September 2016. This inspection was carried out following several whistle-blowers coming forward about the service. The allegations were that the building where people lived, was not of an acceptable standard. People who used services and others were not protected against the risks associated with unsafe or unsuitable premises because of inadequate maintenance. The concerns also alleged there were not sufficient numbers of suitably qualified staff to meet people’s requirements safely. We found that this was the case and that there were breaches of Regulations 15 and 18 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

Eaton Court Residential Home is situated in a residential area of Wallasey, close to local amenities and transport. There is parking to the front of the property and a small garden to the rear. It provides accommodation for up to 26 persons who require personal care. There were 13 people living in the home at the time of our inspection. The service employed 19 staff including the registered manager and the financial manager.

The home required a registered manager. 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. There was a registered manager in post but they were on holiday at the time of this inspection. The financial manager was in attendance.

We observed that staffing levels were a concern as we saw that staff were providing care for people who were in bed or dealing with visiting professionals leaving the rest of the home with no care support. Feedback from staff, relatives/visitors also confirmed that they felt there was a problem.

We saw the premises were in need of redecoration and some areas had been placed ‘out of bounds’ due to disrepair. We also saw that water temperatures were not regulated in some communal areas of the home. For some weeks we found that a bath chair had been out of commission which meant that some people had not been able to access bathing facilities.

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, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014. There was a registered manager in post at the home. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service and has the legal responsibility for meeting the requirements of the law; as does the provider. This was an unannounced inspection. Eaton Court provides short term intermediate care and accommodation for up to 26 people over the age of 18 who require short term and long term residential care and support. Access to the service of Eaton Court is by referral from community services or by individuals and their relatives.

Staff working at the service understood the needs of the people they supported and we saw that care and support was provided in a respectful caring manner. People who used the service told us they were happy with the care delivered.

The service provided a comfortable environment for people to live. However, during our visit we saw that improvements were needed to some areas of the environment.

Regular visits from local GP services and other healthcare professionals helped ensure that people’s health and support needs were assessed and met.

There were no Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) in place for people at the time of our visit. A policy and procedure in relation to the Mental Capacity Act 2005 was easily accessible within the home.

During the previous inspection of the service on 20 November 2013 we found that an improvement needed to be made in relation to temperature control systems on the water heaters situated on the top floor of the home. At the time of this visit the rooms on the top floor were not in use. The manager confirmed that action had been take to improve the safety of the temperature control systems.

People knew who to speak to if they were unhappy. A complaints procedure was in place and available around the building. This helped ensure that if a person wished to make a complaint the information was readily available to them or their representative.

Staff were fully aware of their role and purpose of the service delivered at Eaton Court.

We spoke to different people about this service to gain a balanced overview of what people experienced, what they thought and how they were cared for. We spoke to several people resident at the service, two relatives of people and three staff members. We also spoke to a social worker who had been asked to review a person using the service on the day that we visited. We spent time observing people using the service, to see how they were cared for and how staff interacted with them.

People said, 'the staff are lovely.' A relative said that staff were, 'really helpful, and always happy and smiling.'

People said that they had discussed their preferences and care needs with staff when they had come to live in the home, and had signed care plans. We saw that plans for care were reviewed regularly and adapted as people's needs changed.

We saw that the service had policies and procedures documented for all aspects of services provided.

Staff told us, and we saw evidence that confirmed they had received training to deliver care safely.

The premises were suitable for the registered activity being carried out and several safety inspections or risk assessments had been carried out by relevant professionals. These included a fire safety assessment, electrical assessment, water supply and legionella risk assessment. When we visited, recommendations made in the reports had not been implemented and there were no action plans available to indicate when they would be acted on.

People told us what it was like to live at this home and described how they were treated by staff and their involvement in making choices about their care. They also told us about the quality and choice of food and drink available. This was because this inspection was part of a themed inspection programme to assess whether older people living in care homes are treated with dignity and respect and whether their nutritional needs are met.

The inspection team was led by a Care Quality Commission (CQC) inspector joined by an Expert by Experience who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.

We spoke with five people who lived at the home; all felt they were treated with dignity and respect. They said:

'We are treated very well' and 'It's fine here'.

Some of the people we spoke with told us they were not aware of their care or treatment plans and felt they had not been involved with developing them. However we spoke to a relative of someone who used the service and they told us:

'The family and x (person who used the service) were involved in deciding the care plan' and 'A member of the staff support team explained to me that people are involved in devising and implementing care plans ' and people sign these documents'

People we spoke with all said the food and drink offered was fine and alternatives were available if they didn't want a particular meal.

These older reports are from our old approaches to inspection, including those from before CQC was created.

Archived: Eaton Court Residential Home

All Inspections

23 September 2016

During an inspection looking at part of the service

5 August 2014

During a routine inspection

20 November 2013

During a routine inspection

25 September 2012

During a themed inspection looking at Dignity and Nutrition

Reports under our old system of regulation