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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one inspector, a pharmacist 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

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

The service had a manager registered with CQC. 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 announced. We gave a short period notice of the inspection due to restrictions in place during the COVID pandemic.

What we did before the inspection

We looked at the information we held about the service. This information included statutory notifications the provider had sent to CQC. A notification is information about important events which the service is required to send us by law.

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.

We contacted local authority commissioners and asked them for their views about the service. This information helps support our inspections. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spent time in the communal areas observing how staff provided support for people to help us better understand their experiences of the care they received. We spoke with the registered manager, the team manager and one care staff member.

We looked at a range of documents. These included four people's records related to their care and support, seven medicines records, two staff recruitment records, staffing rotas, minutes from meetings, maintenance certificates and records related to the auditing and monitoring of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We reviewed various policies and procedures. We spoke with five people who used the service and three relatives. We also received feedback from five care staff.