Stour Road Care Home Also known as Stour Road Care Home

Stour Road Care Home is a residential care home registered to provide care and support for up to 20 people. The home is accessed over three floors by stairs or a lift, there were communal areas and a conservatory with level access to a secure garden. There were 20 people receiving care and support, some of whom were living with dementia.

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

Improvements had been made to personalised care since our last inspection. However, we have made a recommendation about activities and social engagement within the home, as improvements had not been embedded.

Care plans were detailed and contained relevant information about how to support a person in the ways they preferred. Information regarding specific health conditions were not person specific, we raised this with the registered manager and they immediately sought to rectify it. Staff knew people well and they encouraged people to live good lives.

Risk assessments were comprehensive and contained relevant information to support staff to keep people safe whilst living their lives. Risk assessments were clear and detailed, especially for those who needed support due to emotional distress. Staff knew people’s risks well and were clear on how to raise concerns if they thought someone was at risk of harm or abuse. Staff were confident their concerns would be followed up and acted upon, they also knew who to contact outside of the home if needed.

People received their medicines as prescribed, staff who gave medicines were trained and had their competency assessed. Safe procedures were in place for ordering and storage. Robust recruitment processes meant people had the necessary skills and qualifications to provide care and support to people. The necessary checks had taken place to establish staff suitability. There were enough staff on duty, however, unplanned sickness and shortages of staff meant recruitment was ongoing.

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. The necessary authorisation to deprive a person of their liberty was in place and conditions within them met fully by the home. This meant they were acting in full compliance with the law, protecting people’s rights.

Quality assurance and governance systems operated effectively. Audits and checks were undertaken and a multi-layered approach to management meant the service could continually learn and improve. The registered manager was respected and known for their open and transparent practice. The home had good links with external agencies and worked well with others.

Staff felt proud to work at Stour Road Care Home and we received positive feedback about the management of the home following changes within recent months. Staff felt appreciated and were involved in the home.

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 24 March 2021).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

Stour Road Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 17 older people, some living with a dementia, at the time of our inspection. The service can support up to 20 people. Accommodation is in one building and over three floors. Shared facilities include specialist bathrooms, lounge and dining areas and an accessible, secure garden.

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

Improvements in the management of infection, prevention and control practice, fire safety checks and the recruitment of staff meant that people were protected from avoidable risks. Staffing levels ensured staff could be response to people’s care and social needs. Medicines were administered safely by trained staff. Policies and procedures were in place and effective in safeguarding people from abuse or poor care practices. Staff understood people’s individual risks and the actions needed to mitigate avoidable harm.

Improvements in governance meant that quality assurance processes were effective at ensuring people received safe care and treatment. Staff spoke positively about their roles and the home, felt listened to, appreciated and involved in the development of the service. Families had opportunities to be engaged and involved in Stour Road through video and telephone calls, emails and newsletters. Relationships with other professional bodies such as local clinical commissioning group ensured the service kept up to date with new guidance and best practices.

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

Rating at last inspection (and update)

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 18 December 2020) and there were multiple breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced focused inspection of this service on 26 November 2020. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safety of premises and equipment, safe recruitment of fit and proper persons and governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Stour Road Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

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.

Stour Road Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 18 older people at the time of our inspection. The service can accommodate up to 20 people. Accommodation is provided in one building over two floors, which are accessed by a lift.

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

People were at risk of harm as policies and procedures in place to ensure their safety were not consistently followed. This included recruitment checks, fire equipment safety checks and infection prevention and control cleaning schedules. Records were not complete and governance processes had not been robust enough in identifying shortfalls.

People and their families told us they felt safe. Staff had completed safeguarding training and understood how to recognise and report safeguarding concerns. People had their risks assessed and staff understood the actions needed to minimise the risk of avoidable harm. Medicines were administered safely. Personal protective equipment was being used effectively and both people and staff were engaged in regular Covid-19 testing.

People and their families spoke positively about the management of the home, told us they were kept informed and felt able to be involved in decisions about the service. The manager operated an open-door culture, promoted person centred care and positively encouraged feedback. They understood their responsibilities for sharing information with CQC and other statutory agencies and records showed this was done in a timely manner.

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

Rating at last inspection and update: The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 7 November 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed a monthly audit after the last inspection to update CQC on improvements. At this inspection we found not enough improvement had been made and the service remained in breach of regulation.

Why we inspected

Following the inspection 11 September 2019 we identified breaches of regulations. As a result we attached conditions to the provider’s registration requiring a monthly report from the provider.

We undertook this focused inspection to check the provider was meeting their legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe and Well-led which contain those requirements.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to corona virus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The ratings from the previous comprehensive inspection for those key questions not looked at on this occasion were used in calculating the overall rating at this inspection. The overall rating for the service has remained requires improvement. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Stour Road Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We are mindful of the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our regulatory function. This meant we took account of the exceptional circumstances arising as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic when considering what enforcement action was necessary and proportionate to keep people safe as a result of this inspection. We will continue to discharge our regulatory enforcement functions required to keep people safe and to hold providers to account where it is necessary for us to do so.

We have identified breaches in relation to staff recruitment, infection prevention and control and governance.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report. Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will request an action plan for the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Stour Road Care Home is a residential care home providing personal care to 19 people aged 65 and over, some living with a dementia, at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 20 people. The care home provides accommodation over two floors in one adapted building situated in a residential area near the town centre.

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

Actions needed to minimise the risk of harm to people had not consistently been recorded, monitored or effectively reviewed. This included risks associated with skin damage, dehydration and falls. Medicines were administered safely but not always in line with best practice. Staff understood the actions they needed to take to protect people from avoidable infections. People described the care as safe and staff understood how to recognise and act upon concerns of abuse of poor practice.

Management oversight included audits of the care people received but had not been effective in identifying shortfalls in the management of assessed risks to people. Quality surveys had been completed to gather feedback from people and led to changes with the menu and the reintroduction of musical entertainment. Staff spoke positively about teamwork and communication.

Staff were knowledgeable about peoples care needs and wishes but records did not always reflect the care being provided. This meant people were at risk of not receiving consistent, person centred care. Opportunities to be involved in activities in the home and links with the community were limited and not reflective of people’s individual interests.

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. A complaints process was in place and people and their families felt any concerns they had were listened to and actioned.

Staff were respectful of people’s dignity, privacy and independence. We observed people being cared for by staff who knew them well, demonstrating kindness, patience and emotional support where needed. People had their communication needs understood which enabled staff to support people in making decisions about their day to day lives.

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

Rating at last inspection (and update) The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 28 February 2018). Since this rating was awarded the registered provider of the service has changed. We have used the previous rating and enforcement action taken to inform our planning and decisions about the rating at this inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to the safe care and treatment of people and governance at this inspection.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.