Barnes Court Care Home

Updated 1 November 2019

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

The inspection team was made up of one inspector and an Expert by Experience. 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

Barnes Court Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We also contacted Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection-

We spoke with nine people and one relative about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, the clinical lead, a care practitioner, a kitchen assistant, a care worker, the activities co-ordinator, a domestic worker and the administrator. We used the 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.

We reviewed documentation, inspected the safety of the premises and carried out observations in communal areas. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We also contacted the activities co-ordinator.

Updated 1 November 2019

About the service

Barnes Court Care Home provides care and accommodation for people with complex physical and neurological needs, nursing care needs and people who are living with dementia. The home is registered for 89 places but only 66 places were available because the first floor was split into two units which meant additional communal rooms were created. The home also no longer use shared rooms. At the time of the inspection the service supported 52 people.

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

People were happy living in the home and felt safe. Risks were well managed. The provider learned from previous accidents and incidents to reduce future risks. The registered manager understood their responsibilities about safeguarding and staff received appropriate training. Arrangements were in place for the safe administration of medicines. Staff were recruited in a safe way and there were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs.

People’s needs were assessed before they started using the service and on an ongoing basis. Staff were suitably trained and received regular supervisions. People were supported with their nutritional needs and to access a range of health care professionals. People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives, and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect. Staff promoted and maintained people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves, where possible. People were supported to access advocacy services.

Care plans were adequately detailed and person-centred. People’s communication needs were detailed within care records and staff knew how to communicate with them effectively. People knew how to complain, and any complaints received were fully investigated and subsequent action was taken.

People, a relative and staff spoke highly of the registered manager and were complimentary about the service. An effective quality assurance process was in place. People and relatives were regularly consulted about the quality of the service through surveys and meetings. Staff were involved in the ongoing development and improvement of the service through regular meetings.

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 19 September 2018).

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.