Connaught House

Updated 27 January 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

This inspection was completed by four inspectors. Three inspectors visited the service and the fourth inspector made phone calls to relatives of people who lived at the service to gain information of their experiences of the service.

Service and service type

Connaught House is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a 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 used the information the provider sent us in the provider information return. This is information providers are required to send us with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and three relatives. We spent time observing staff interacting with people. We also 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 spoke with thirteen members of staff including nursing staff, care workers, activity co-ordinator the registered manager, and representatives of the provider including the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We looked at documentation relating to five people’s care, three staff files and records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found.

Updated 27 January 2022

About the service

Connaught House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 24 older people, including people who were living with dementia, at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 86 people.

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

People were safe. This was because the staff team received safeguarding training and understood their responsibility to keep people safe. There was a process to be followed to report any safeguarding issues to the local authority and the staff team were aware of this. There were good risk managements in place to ensure people's health and welfare was not compromised. The number of staff on duty for each shift was calculated based upon each person's care and support needs. Pre-recruitment checks ensured new staff were recruited safely. Checks included written references and a Disclosure and Barring Service check. Medicines were well managed and administered by those staff who had been trained and were competent. People received their medicines as prescribed.

People's care and support was effective and based on detailed assessments and care plans which reflected their physical, mental and social needs. 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. New staff completed an induction training programme. The registered manager had ensured all other staff completed the programme of mandatory training to keep their knowledge and skills up to date. People were able to access the healthcare support they needed with the staff team making any arrangements as required. People received the food and drink they needed to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

People were looked after by staff who were kind and friendly and listened to what they had to say. People received person-centred care and were involved in making decisions about their daily life. The staff team were fully aware of each person's specific needs. Staff respected and promoted people's privacy and dignity and encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People's care and support met their needs and reflected their preferences. Each person and their relatives, when appropriate, was involved in creating their care plan and how they wanted to be looked after. The plans were reviewed monthly and amended as and when needed. The provider was aware of and followed best practice guidance. People could take part in activities which reflected their interests and prevented social isolation. The service endeavoured to continue looking after people who became very ill or had end of life care needs. They achieved this working in conjunction with family and healthcare professionals.

The registered manager provided good leadership for the staff team and had a plan of further improvements they planned to make to the service. Quality assurance systems and regular visits by the provider ensured the provider knew what was happening in the service. People were at the centre of all decision making in the home and their views and opinions were listened to and acted upon.

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

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection following the new registration of the 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 until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.