Alexandra House

Updated 24 February 2022

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.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 15 February 2022 and was announced.

Updated 24 February 2022

About the service

Alexandra House is a care home for up to 58 older people. It had opened a year before and was providing personal care to 38 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. Nursing care was not provided.

The premises had been purpose built to replace the provider’s previous care home on the same site. People were accommodated on two floors, the upper floor having recently opened. The ground floor specialised in providing care to people living with dementia.

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

People were safe and protected from avoidable harm. Staff understood their responsibilities for safeguarding adults, food hygiene and infection control. Medicines were managed safely. The premises and equipment were clean and well maintained. There were enough staff on duty to ensure people’s needs were met. Recruitment checks were thorough.

Care from staff who were themselves well supported promoted a good quality of life. Needs were assessed thoroughly. Appetising food met people’s preferences and dietary requirements. People had access to health care. Communal areas and bedrooms were spacious and well-lit.

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.

People and visitors praised the caring approach of the staff and confirmed that staff supported them to do what they could for themselves. Staff treated people with dignity and respect. They were attentive, offering reassurance and assistance tactfully when people were upset or in need of assistance.

People and relatives praised their or their loved one’s care. They enjoyed optional arranged activities and were supported to access community facilities. An individualised approach to end of life care ensured this reflected what was important to people. People and relatives felt comfortable to raise concerns, which were addressed promptly.

The service was consistently managed. Leaders and the culture they created promoted high-quality, person-centred care. People and visitors praised the happy atmosphere. Staff were enthusiastic. There were robust systems for quality monitoring and improvement. The registered manager was open and honest with people, families and staff when things went wrong.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 30 April 2018 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection, as the service had been registered for a year.

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.