Background to this inspection
Updated
9 August 2016
We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.
This inspection took place on 24 May 2016 and was unannounced.
The membership of the inspection team consisted of two inspectors for the whole day and a third inspector for part of the day. An expert by experience also accompanied us on the inspection.
An expert-by-experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service. Our expert-by-experience had experience of care homes for older people and those with mental health related issues.
Before the inspection we looked at information we already had about the provider. Providers are required to notify the Care Quality Commission about specific events and incidents that occur including serious injuries to people receiving care. We refer to these as notifications. We contacted the local authority who commission services from the provider for their views of the service.
Because some people we spoke with were living with dementia and unable to tell us very much about their experiences of care, we spent time observing interactions between staff and the people that lived there. We used a Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.
As part of our inspection we spoke with ten people, four relatives, one visiting professional and eight staff including an activities co-ordinator, maintenance person, nurses, senior care staff and care staff. We also spoke with the registered manager and deputy manager.
We looked at the records of thirteen people to look as different aspects of care they received. We also reviewed records regarding management of medicines, complaints, staff training records and records for monitoring the quality of the service.
Updated
9 August 2016
This inspection was carried out on 24 May 2016 and was unannounced. This was the first inspection since Avery Homes Ltd had taken over the home.
Clare Court Nursing Home provides care and accommodation to up to 80 people in need of nursing care. At the time of this inspection there were 62 people in the home.
There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. 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.
Improvements to the service were being made to ensure that a good quality service was provided to people, that staff were motivated and that family members were happy with the service. Although improvements had been made this was a work in progress and sustainability of the improvements had not yet been demonstrated.
People felt safe with the staff that supported them but not always safe in the home. People were not always protected from potential harm because staff did not always follow risk assessments and management plans in place.
People were happy that the care they received met their needs even though they did not always feel involved in the planning of their care.
There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs.
People received sufficient food and drink to remain healthy and choices were available but not everyone was happy with the meals they received and the mealtime experience could be improved for some people.
People’s privacy, dignity and independence were promoted by staff.
People received their medicines as prescribed and their health needs were met by the appropriate healthcare professionals .Health needs were not always identified and met in a timely manner.
Staff were supported to provide appropriate care because they received training, guidance and support.
Staff were kind and compassionate and had developed good relationships with people.
People were able to consent to the care they received where they had the capacity to do so. Where people did not have the capacity to make decision systems were in place to ensure that their human rights were protected.
People were supported to have things to do either in a group or on an individual basis.
People felt listened to and able to raise any concerns they may have.
Systems were in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service and the service people received had improved although further improvements were needed.