St Judes Nursing Home

Updated 22 December 2023

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 carried out by 1 inspector.

Service and service type

St Judes 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. St Judes is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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

Notice of inspection

This inspection was announced.

Inspection activity started on 20 November 2023 and ended on 11 December 2023. We visited the location’s service on 27 and 28 November 2023.

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 (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 used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 1 healthcare professional, 6 people who used the service and 5 relatives about their experience of the care and support provided. We spoke with 4 members of staff, the registered manager, the regional support manager, 2 registered nurses, the chef and the laundry assistant. We reviewed a range of records, including five people’s care records, five staff recruitment files, training and supervision information and other records relating to the service.

Updated 22 December 2023

About the service

St Judes is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 39 people. The service provides support to adults living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 39 people using the service.

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

People were kept safe. Staff knew how to raise safeguarding concerns and were aware of the processes to follow in order to keep people safe. People told us they felt safe. In the comments we received, relatives agreed with this.

Care and support plans were person centred and developed to ensure people’s needs were met appropriately.

Risk management strategies were in place to assist staff to help people to manage these risks safely and to maximise their potential in terms of their quality of life.

Staffing levels were good and appropriate to ensure people's needs were met in a safe, timely and consistent way.

The service was following safe infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe.

The administration of medicines was managed in a safe way and people received their medicines safely.

The service was flexible and adapted to people's changing needs and wishes and promoted their independence.

The provider created a cohesive team culture where staff were able to develop and improve their practice. They were provided with the right training and support to make sure they could fulfil their roles appropriately.

People and their families described care as being kind and compassionate. They said they were treated with dignity and respect. We received consistently positive feedback about the caring nature of staff and their empathetic approach. People, their relatives and staff referred to the trust, kindness, understanding and sensitivity to their individual needs as reasons why they felt the service was good.

People were encouraged and supported to lead as fulfilled a life as possible. They were supported to follow their hopes and aspirations. The activities programme developed together with those people [who were able to engage with this programme] contributed greatly to this.

People's individuality was respected. People were involved in making decisions about their day to day lives and staff respected people's choices. People were supported to maintain their independence with creativity and enthusiasm.

People's diversity and their unique individual needs were well respected by staff. The staff team knew people well and were able to provide appropriate support discreetly and with compassion.

People's privacy was respected, and people were supported to maintain contact with relatives and friends.

There was clear evidence of collaborative working and good communication with other professionals in health and social care sector. People's health care needs were being met and they had access to healthcare services where needed.

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.

Robust processes were in place to manage and respond to complaints and concerns.

St Judes was well led. The provider's ethos and values put people at the heart of the service. This vision was driven by the leadership of the registered manager and the senior management team. The staff team were empowered and engaged in providing an effective, person-centred model of care. This helped people using the service, with complex needs, to achieve their maximum potential and quality of life.

There was a wide ranging and effective governance system in place.

People, relatives and staff were confident about approaching the registered manager if they needed to. They recognised that their views and feedback were valued and respected and consistently used to support quality service development. A wide range of comprehensive audits took place to ensure the quality of the service was maintained.

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 10 October 2017).

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.