• Care Home
  • Care home

Dovedale Court

Overall: Good read more about inspection ratings

Dovedale Avenue, Ingol, Preston, Lancashire, PR2 3WQ (01772) 761616

Provided and run by:
Barchester Healthcare Homes Limited

Latest inspection summary

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Background to this inspection

Updated 13 December 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.

Inspection team

An inspector, a regulatory coordinator and an Expert by Experience took part in the inspection process. 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

Dovedale Court 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. Dovedale Court is a care home with 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.

Inspection activity started on 14 November 2023 and ended on 21 November. We visited the service on 14 November 2023 and 16 November.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We used 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

During inspection we spoke with 5 people living at the home and 6 relatives about their experience of care provided by Dovedale Court. We spoke with 10 members of staff including the regional director, the registered manager, nurses, senior care workers, a housekeeper, maintenance person, activities coordinator and care staff. We observed people’s interactions and the care they received. This helped us understand the experiences of people with limited communication.

We observed medication administration and checked medication storage and recording systems. We reviewed a range of records including 4 people’s care records and recruitment files for 6 staff.

We looked at records relating to health and safety such as fire safety information, testing records and servicing documents. We checked the environment, equipment, facilities and cleanliness; to assess if the home was safe and fit for purpose.

We remotely reviewed information relating to the management of the service such as policies and procedures, audits, meeting minutes, rotas and surveys. We sought additional evidence and clarification from the registered manager via email.

Overall inspection

Good

Updated 13 December 2023

About the service

Dovedale Court provides accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care or treatment of diseases, disorder or injury. The service can provide support for up to 32 people, including older people, younger adults and those living with dementia. At the time of our inspection, there were 31 people using the service.

The property is set over 2 floors with lift access to the upper floor. There were several communal areas and a large rear garden for people to enjoy. Aids and adaptions were in place to meet people’s individual needs.

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

Systems and processes kept people safe from abuse and medicines were managed safely. Detailed care records and risk assessments provided staff with information about people’s needs. Staff deployment was effective; we received feedback about consistency at the home and the positive impact this had on people. A relative said, “The staff know [person] so well and understand their needs, this helps keep [person] safe. They are so well looked after.” Another added, “[Person’s] needs are varied but staff have a good understanding of [person] and how to give them the best quality of life possible.” Several people on the upper floor could display heightened behaviours but these were managed by a knowledgeable and well-trained team. The home was clean and well maintained. Appropriate safety checks were carried out on premises and equipment.

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 provider and registered manager maintained good standards. One relative told us, “The home appears to be moving forward. The registered manager seems to be making changes in both the care and the environment.” There were robust systems to respond to incidents and accidents, and monitor the quality and safety of care. Action was taken to drive improvement. We received feedback that communication was good, and the registered manager was approachable and responsive to concerns. The provider engaged people, their relatives or staff and promoted good outcomes. Staff worked hard as a team, and they spoke about their colleagues positively; morale was high. A staff member said, “It’s such a good place to work, I love that we all work together as a team. Everyone supports each other.”

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 3 March 2022).

Why we inspected

We undertook this inspection as part of a random selection of services rated Good and Outstanding.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Dovedale Court on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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