27 September 2022
During an inspection looking at part of 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.