Our current view of the service
Updated
10 June 2025
Date of assessment: 18, 19 and 20 June 2025. We carried out this assessment because we had received concerns about people’s care, staffing numbers and the management of the service.
OSJCT Chestnut Court provides care to a maximum of 80 people, of whom some live with dementia. At the time of the assessment 79 people were receiving care.
There was a registered manager, but they were not present during this assessment. Another of the provider’s managers was managing the service with support from one of the provider’s senior management team. Both managers shared the provider’s vision and goals to ensure people received safe and effective care. Both were suitably knowledgeable and skilled and were invested in working collaboratively with the staff to ensure people received safe and effective care.
There were processes and practices to keep people safe and to manage risks which could impact on people’s health and wellbeing. Learning from incidents and accidents was shared to improve staff practice. The service made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences.
Regular reviews of people’s dependency levels and staffing numbers took place to ensure the service had the means to support people in a holistic way.
Systems were used to assess people’s needs and to plan their care in accordance with best practice guidance and standards. Staff received relevant training which helped to support and maintain good outcomes for people.
The provider’s monitoring processes had identified areas for improvement and action was being taken to address these. This included strengthening processes to monitor the management of clinical risks. The provider had a continuous improvement strategy which the service benefited from.
Managers worked closely with commissioners, health and social care partners to support people through their care journey.
People's experience of the service
Updated
10 June 2025
People and their relatives were generally happy with the care provided. People told us they felt safe, and relatives had no safety concerns. Relatives considered the staff to be knowledgeable and caring. People told us staff knew what their needs were, and they were supportive of their preferences and wishes. People and their relatives told us the environment was kept clean.
Relatives told us staff took time to explain things to their family members to get their permission before supporting them. Relatives thought medicines were managed well and people told us staff always asked them if they needed pain relief.
People told us they sometimes had to wait longer than they would prefer, to have their call bell responded to, and when it was answered, staff sometimes told them they needed to wait.
Some relatives told us of delays in waiting for the telephone to be answered or having to wait to be let into the building when visiting outside of office hours. These experiences had contributed to relatives feeling the service was not always adequately staffed.
Relatives were aware social activities took place, and their family members could choose what they wanted to participate in. People told us they enjoyed the activities but would like staff to have more time to talk with them.
People told us staff were caring, respectful and understood their needs and how to meet them. Relatives told us staff were caring towards their loved ones.
Most relatives told us staff kept them informed and updated about their relative’s health, including about any accidents or incidents they had been involved in.
People and their relatives told us regular medical reviews took place, and people had access to eye tests and foot care. They told us food and drinks were always available.
Most relatives felt the care home was well managed and if they had a concern this would be listened to and acted on.