• Care Home
  • Care home

Eldra Court

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Third Drive, off Landscore Road, Teignmouth, Devon, TQ14 9JT (01626) 774834

Provided and run by:
Phoenix Learning and Care Limited

All Inspections

6 July 2023

During a monthly review of our data

We carried out a review of the data available to us about Eldra Court on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.

This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.

If you have concerns about Eldra Court, you can give feedback on this service.

23 March 2021

During an inspection looking at part of the service

Eldra Court is a service which provides care and support for up to seven people with learning disabilities at the time of the inspection there were six people living at the service. The home is a large domestic property within the outskirts of the town.

We found the following examples of good practice.

Staff were aware of the correct personal protective equipment (PPE) they needed to wear to keep people and themselves safe.

Staff were observed wearing PPE throughout the building and throughout the inspection.

Staff had training and support to understand the fundamentals of infection control and COVID 19. There was a contingency plan for if the service had an outbreak.

All visitors were only allowed into the home once they had declared their health status, provided their contact details, completed a rapid covid-19 test and had their temperature checked.

People were being supported to visit their family in their homes as this was the preferred arrangement for people. This was done with testing of all individuals on each visit.

Staff supported people to maintain contact using video calls and phone calls. Staff also worked hard to be inventive in ways they could ensure people were still able to enjoy the activities they preferred which may have been restricted due to lockdown. This included walks locally and car rides, as well as in house creative art sessions.

The service had regular testing and had a good take up of staff and people receiving their first coronavirus vaccine.

The home was clean and there were cleaning schedules to show that high touch points were being cleaned on a regular basis to help keep people safe.

The registered manager had devised a format to complete competency checks for staff in respect of infection control PPE and cleaning. This was completed and discussed during one to one supervision meetings.

15 July 2019

During a routine inspection

About the service

Eldra Court is a residential care home providing personal care and support to seven people with learning disabilities. The service is arranged within one adapted building with six people living within the main house and one person in a self-contained flat but still attached to the main home.

The service has been developed and designed in line with the principles and values that underpin Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. This ensures that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes. The principles reflect the need for people with learning disabilities and/or autism to live meaningful lives that include control, choice, and independence. People using the service receive planned and co-ordinated person-centred support that is appropriate and inclusive for them.

The service was a large home, bigger than most domestic style properties. It was registered for the support of up to seven people. Seven people were using the service. This is larger than current best practice guidance. However, the size of the service having a negative impact on people was mitigated by the building design fitting into the residential area and the other large domestic homes of a similar size. There were deliberately no identifying signs, intercom, cameras, industrial bins or anything else outside to indicate it was a care home. Staff were also discouraged from wearing anything that suggested they were care staff when coming and going with people.

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

People said they enjoyed living at Eldra Court. People felt comfortable and secure in their environment. People’s bedrooms were highly personalised, and people valued their own space. The communal areas were bright and cheerful. They had recently been decorated and people had helped choose the décor and shopped for new furniture and furnishings.

Staff were skilled and knowledgeable about people’s needs, wishes and preferred routines. People were at the heart of the service. It was clear from discussions with staff and the registered manager, any improvement was always made by ensuring people had a say.. This included the recruitment of new staff. Recently people had been included in the interview process.

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. Seclusion was not used as a method of calming. Some people had positive support plans with details of how staff could best support them when their behaviour was a risk to themselves or others.

The service applied the principles and values of Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These ensure that people who use the service can live as full a life as possible and achieve the best possible outcomes that include control, choice and independence. This was evident in the person-centred plans. People’s diversity was celebrated, and individuals were enabled to have full and interesting lives. People’s relatives confirmed this. A relative said said “They have a better social life than me. They are always out and about. When (name of person) comes here, they are soon wanting to go back to their friends and their own home.”

The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion. People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.

People were protected because the service had robust recruitment processes. They ensured staff had training in understanding abuse and risk assessing to keep people safe.

People were supported to have a balanced diet, enjoy exercise and keep healthy. Staff worked in conjunction with other healthcare professionals to achieve good health outcomes for people.

Staff were skilled at understanding people’s communication needs and this helped people to make their views known by various ways.

There were sufficient staff with the right skills and support to ensure people’s needs were met safely and effectively.

There were quality assurance systems in place to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service provided.

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 Good (Repot published 17 January 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.

15 November 2016

During a routine inspection

Eldra Court provides care and support for up to seven adults with learning disabilities. From the same location a number of people were supported under a Supported Living scheme. A supported living scheme is one where people live in their own home and receive care and support in order to promote their independence. At the time of our inspection the service provided support to 27 people living in their own homes. However, only four people required support to meet their personal care needs. Therefore we only looked at the care and support received by those people. Eldra Court provides other services which help people to live independently, such as assistance with shopping and enabling people undertake activities in the community.

This inspection took place on 15 and 16 November 2016 and the first day was unannounced. The service was last inspected on 20 November 2013 when it met the requirements that we looked at.

Two managers were registered for the service. However, we were told only one person worked as the registered manager, with the other now employed as a service manager. They told us they would be applying to de-register as manager of Eldra Court. 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.

Kind and caring staff ensured people received care and support that was responsive to their needs. One member of staff told us they enjoyed watching people “flourish”. They went on to say they saw their role as one which helped people “Live their lives and dream their dreams.” One relative told us the service was “Like another family” and that their relative liked “all the carers and they like him.” Another relative said “can’t fault them (staff) in any way.”

Staff were aware of the visions and values of the service. They told us that HEART (Honesty, Empathy, Aspiration, Respect and Teamwork) was at the centre of all their work. Staff felt this was embodied in their work in helping people live “valued and fulfilled lives.”

Staff ensured people’s privacy and dignity was respected and all personal care was provided in private. People’s care plans gave staff instructions on how their needs were to be met. Care plans were written in a positive way, which empowered and valued the person. People’s plans contained goals for each individual. One person’s goal was to be in regular contact with their relatives. We saw the service helped the person achieve this through the use of technology as well as regular visits.

Staff knew the people they supported and understood their needs and preferences well. People were offered choices in all aspects of their lives. People and their relatives were involved in making decisions about care provided by staff.

There were enough staff available to meet people’s needs and support people to take part in activities, courses and outings. The service had set up a series of courses for people to attend in response to the withdrawal of many local authority free courses. Courses on offer included cookery and arts and crafts.

People were supported to maintain a healthy balanced diet and had a choice for each meal. Staff ensured people’s health care needs were addressed. People were supported to attend healthcare appointments and received visits from healthcare professionals. People's medicines were stored and managed safely and they received their medicines at the times they were prescribed to be given.

Following the inspection we received an email from a social care professional who told us how well people were supported by staff. They wrote in an email “Both my residents can present some challenges in regards of supporting them and I was happy that the strategies they (staff) use work well.”

People were protected from the risks of abuse. Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse both within the service and to outside agencies. One staff member said if they suspected abuse was occurring they would “ring those bells and ring them loud.” Thorough recruitment procedures ensured the risks of employing unsuitable staff were minimised. People’s human rights were upheld because staff displayed a good understanding of the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS).

Staff had received a variety of training such as medicine administration, first aid and infection control. They had also received more specific training relating to people’s needs such as epilepsy and autism. Staff also received regular supervision to support them in their role. Staff told us the registered manager was very open and approachable. One staff member told us “I feel very lucky to have [registered manager] as my manager.”

There were effective quality assurance systems in place to monitor care. Regular audits were undertaken to ensure the quality of care was maintained.

20 November 2013

During a routine inspection

There was a relaxed and calm atmosphere when we arrived. People greeted us with smiles and hugs and told us they enjoyed living at this service. One person said "All the staff are great". Another person told us "they help me clean my room".

We saw that people were encouraged to be independent and were given support where necessary. During our visit, we saw people going out, cleaning their rooms and making their breakfasts, all with appropriate levels of staff support.

People visited their local community when they wished. Two people told us they 'to go to a disco', which was part of a weekly club.

People told us they felt safe at this service. Staff were trained to recognise safeguarding issues and were confident about raising any concerns that may arise. There was a relaxed atmosphere in the service during our visit. People were happy and chatty with each other.

Staff told us they felt well supported by the manager, and attended relevant training in order to support people to the best of their abilities.

There were processes in place to maintain quality and make improvements where necessary.

7 March 2013

During a routine inspection

People we spoke with told us they enjoyed living at Eldra Court and were treated professionally and with respect by the staff. We saw that independence and choice were promoted and encouraged.

People were supported to access the local community and enjoy a range of activities.

We found that staff were well supervised and received appropriate and regular training. Staff were well supported by the manager.