Claridge Place

Updated 1 October 2022

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 Health and Social Care Act 2008.

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

Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience carried out 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.

Service and service type

Claridge Place is a 'care home'. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Claridge Place is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

Our inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the information we had received about the service since our last inspection. We used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return (PIR). This is information providers are required to send us annually with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. We also gathered feedback from local authority commissioners who work with the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with six people to find out what is was like to live at the home. We observed the care and support provided in communal areas. We spoke with seven people’s relatives and one person’s friend about their experiences of the care provided. We spoke with ten members of staff including the registered manager, the deputy manager, the customer relations manager, the receptionist, the head housekeeper, four care assistants and one team leader.

We reviewed seven people's care records and eight people's medication records. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including staff training data, compliments and quality audits were looked at. We reviewed the recruitment records of three staff to check they had been recruited safely.

Updated 1 October 2022

About the service

Claridge Place is a residential care home providing personal care to up to 77 people. At the time of our inspection 33 lived at the home and one of those people was in hospital. Accommodation is available over three floors. Communal areas included dining rooms, a courtyard garden, hairdressing salon and a bistro.

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

People and their relatives told us Claridge Place was a safe place to live. Staff spoken with knew how to protect people from the risk of abuse and the registered manager had shared important information about safeguarding concerns with us as required.

The management of risks associated with people’s care had improved since our last inspection and a personalised approach to risk management was embedded. Staff knew how to provide safe care to people. Staff had been recruited safely and there was enough of them on duty to meet people’s needs. People received their medicines when they needed them from trained staff. The home was clean, and visitors were always welcome.

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 leadership of the service had been strengthened since our last inspection and lessons had been learned when things had gone wrong. The providers systems and processes to monitor the quality and safety of the service provided were effective.

The management team worked in partnership with other professionals to ensure people’s needs were met. The culture of the service was inclusive. People and their relatives felt listened to. Their feedback was welcomed and used to improve outcomes. Staff felt supported and understood what the provided expected from them.

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 requires improvement (published 18 June 2021).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe and well-led only.

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.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the

overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

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

Follow up

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