Stratford Court

Updated 23 December 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

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Stratford Court 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. Stratford Court 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

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 (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 2 service users and 6 relatives. We also spoke with 2 healthcare professionals. We spoke with 9 members of staff including the registered manager, a director, the deputy manager, senior carers, care staff and the cook. We looked at 5 care records and a number of medication records. We looked at 2 staff files, training records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service including policies and procedures. 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.

Updated 23 December 2022

About the service

Stratford Court is a residential care home providing personal care and support for up to 30 people, some of whom were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 25 people using the service.

Stratford Court accommodates people across 2 floors and people have access to 2 communal areas and the dining room. There was a lift to access the first-floor bedrooms.

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

The provider’s quality assurance systems were not being used effectively, had not provided effective oversight of the service and had failed to identify a number of concerns that came to light during the inspection. Systems were not in place to ensure a number of environmental factors were monitored and addressed including recording of fire drills, personal evacuation plans, fridge temperatures and servicing of equipment.

People were supported by staff who were aware of the risks to them, but care plans and risk assessments had not been consistently reviewed and kept up to date. Accidents and incidents were responded to and acted on appropriately. However, the information gathered was not analysed for any lessons to be learnt. Visiting arrangements in place did not reflect current government guidance and relatives were requested to make appointments prior to visiting loved ones.

Arrangements in place to admit new people were inconsistent as the provider did not always fully assess people prior to them coming into the service. Staff felt fully supported in their role, but arrangements were not in place to ensure their knowledge and skills were routinely reviewed and assessed for any gaps in their learning.

People were supported to eat and drink to maintain a balanced diet but there was a lack of information available regarding some people’s likes and dislikes. People told us staff responded to their requests for support in a timely manner. Staff felt supported in their role and able to approach management with any concerns they may have.

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 told us they felt safe and were supported by staff who were aware of the risks to them and how to act on any safeguarding concerns that came to their attention. People received their medication as prescribed. Staff wore personal protective equipment [PPE] when supporting people and there were supplies of PPE around the home.

People were supported by a group of staff who worked well as a team and alongside a variety of healthcare professionals to ensure people’s healthcare needs were met. People and relatives knew how to raise concerns and felt comfortable doing so. People’s feedback was sought via surveys. People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the registered manager and told us they would recommend the service.

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 12 April 2019).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted in part by a review of the information we held about this service. We received concerns in relation to a safeguarding concern that took place at the service. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.

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

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.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection. We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report. During and following the inspection, the provider took action to mitigate the risks identified. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Stratford Court 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 monitor the service and will take further action if needed.

We have identified breaches two breaches in relation to safe care and treatment and good governance.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from 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 continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.