The Care Quality Commission
  • Care Home
  • Care home

Archived: Alexander Court

Carnarvon Street, Thatto Heath, St Helens, Merseyside, WA9 5QN (01744) 818500

Provided and run by:
Arena Options Limited

All Inspections

28 November and 5 December 2013

During a routine inspection

At our previous visits in February 2013 and July 2013, we found that the service was not compliant for the regulations inspected. We used warning notices for care and welfare of people who use services and assessing and monitoring the quality of service provision.

At this inspection we saw that the service had made improvements and staff had undertaken work to improve the quality of the service. Additional staff had been made available to support the manager.

The improvements made had not fully impacted and the service remained not complaint with the outcomes inspected. However we determined that the level of impact on people who lived in the home had improved.

The provider is consulting with people who use the service, their families and staff in order to determine the future of the service. As a result new people are not moving into the home. As such further enforcement action will not assist in any improvements.

The service has informed us that they will keep us up to date in the progress they are making to achieve compliance.

15, 18 July 2013

During a routine inspection

At our last inspection of 13 February 2013, we found that the service was not compliant in six regulations. This included inaccurate records, lack of monitoring and appropriate planning of care, ineffective medication management, unsafe areas of the environment and staff support. An action plan was received from the provider explaining the action they would be taking.

At this inspection we saw that the actions that the provider had told us they planned to put in to place had not been carried out. We identified concerns with the quality of the service in relation to care and welfare, the environment, safety and medication management. Reports from other external agencies noted areas in need of improvement and a lack of progress to achieve improvement was identified in the report from the Local Authority.

When we spoke with people who lived in the home they commented on a need to improve the decoration of the home. They told us they were not always involved in the planning of their care or the running of the service.

All of the people we spoke with were complimentary about staff kindness and willingness to assist them as needed.

13 February 2013

During a routine inspection

We spoke with seven people who lived in the home about their experiences. They told us that they were 'very happy' and 'The staff are very kind, lovely girls nothing is too much trouble for them.' We asked about the environment and people who lived in the home told us, 'It would be nice if it looked nicer.' They told us that they thought the staff were 'thoroughly excellent', 'cannot fault them' and 'I have no idea what I would do without them they are always happy smiling and have a bit of banter ready.'

We spoke to the relatives of three people who told us they were happy with the support and care their relatives received. They told us that staff contacted doctors appropriately and people were supported to attend medical appointments.

We attended early in the morning as concerns had been raised that people were getting up too early in the morning. On arrival at 6.30 am we found that three people were up. One person told us that they choose to get up early and always had done so.

During the day we observed staff practice. We saw that sometimes staff made sure that people were offered choices. This was not consistent practice; for example, there was no information available in the service that showed what choices of meals there were.

We looked around the building and looked at a sample of bedrooms and bathrooms and the communal areas. We found that all the areas seen were clean. We found that bedrooms were personalised. They appeared homely and comfortable.

29 February 2012

During a routine inspection

An expert by experience accompanied us on this visit. They made observations, spoke with the people who used the service and to relatives.

The expert by experience found that the staff appeared attentive towards the people who used the service. They observed that people were given choices. They made positive comments about the meal time experience. The expert by experience identified some issues around the home environment where improvements could be made which have been included in this report.

The expert by experience spoke with nine people who used the service and four visitors. The people who used the service were all happy with their home. Some comments made were:

'I cannot remember if I chose this home myself, but I like it here.

'My bedroom is beautiful, staff are very good, food is good and I love it here. And I have my own key.'

'I couldn't live in a safer place. The staff are very good and the food is good. They also look after my clothes well.'

'I like my room. I am looked after well and the food is good. If I need to complain about anything, I will talk to staff.'

The visitors spoken with were happy with the home. Some comments made were:

'Our friend is being looked after well. They always looks smart and they say the food is good'.

'I have full confidence in the staff and they provide good care and respect for my relative."

We spoke to health professionals who visited the service. They told us that staff treated the people who used the service with respect and that they promoted their dignity.

St Helens Council provided us with their last monitoring report of the service following a visit in October 2010. They found that case files and care plans were up to date, were easy to read and showed peoples individual needs. The people who used the service had access to health professionals when they were needed. Some people who used the service and relatives were spoken with and said the staff and the manager were friendly and caring, the meals were lovely and they enjoyed the activities provided. St Helens Council identified that some improvements were needed to training. The manager provided the council with an action plan showing how these training shortfalls were to be addressed.

Since the last visit to the service St Helens Council has received no complaints about the home. There has been one safeguarding issue that was unresolved at the time of our visit.

St Helens Local Involvement Network (LINk) had no information concerning this service.

*LINKs are networks of individuals and organisations that have an interest in improving health and social care services. They are independent of the council, NHS and other service providers. LINks aim to involve local people in the planning and delivery of services.