Carleton Court Care Home

Updated 22 November 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Carleton Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation 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.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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. The registered manager was one of four directors who were all on site and actively involved in the day to day running of the home.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced on the first day and announced on the second.

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. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people who used the service and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including three directors, registered manager and director, deputy manager and three members of the care staff.

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

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at training data and quality assurance records.

Updated 22 November 2019

Carleton Court is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 35 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 35 people in one adapted building.

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

People were comfortable with staff who they knew well. They felt safe and settled and spoke highly of the support they received. Staff were consistent and knew how to meet people’s needs based on their knowledge and experience. They were supported with effective and open supervision, training and developmental opportunities.

Risks were well managed and focused on individual assessments. People’s nutritional needs were well met, with many people saying how good the food was. Medication was administered safely and in line with good practice. The home had recently achieved 92% in an infection control audit evidencing high standards of cleanliness. It was a homely environment and designed with people living there in mind.

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. The registered manager and directors understood best practice and assisted other local organisations in this.

Staff were kind, considerate and very understanding towards people. There was an easy, friendly atmosphere which was encouraged with high levels of interaction and attentiveness. People helped shape their care plans and all told us they were treated with dignity and respect. Care documentation was comprehensive and easy for staff to follow. The directors were keen to ensure it was bespoke and met the needs and requirements of people living at Carleton Court.

The service had received many compliments and feedback was very positive. Robust quality assurances processes ensured all aspects of care delivery were scrutinised and reviewed regularly. The registered manager and directors had strong links with the local community and worked in partnerships with other organisations promoting effective communication and good practice wherever possible.

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 21 April 2017).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.