Clifton Court Nursing Home

Updated 21 July 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 two inspectors and a specialist nurse advisor. An Expert by Experience also supported the inspection by making telephone calls to relatives to gain their feedback of the experience of care provided. 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

Clifton Court Nursing Home 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. Clifton Court Nursing Home 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 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 such as Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with six people and nine relatives about their experience of the care provided. We also received feedback via email from another relative. We spoke with twelve members of staff including three care assistants, two senior care assistants, the chef, two kitchen assistants, the activities co-ordinator, the deputy manager who was also the clinical lead, the registered manager, and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We 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 reviewed a range of records. This included multiple care and medicine records, two staff files in relation to recruitment, a variety of records related to the management of the service such as quality assurance checks. We spoke with one healthcare professional and received email feedback from another healthcare professional who provided support to the home.

Updated 21 July 2022

About the service

Clifton Court Nursing Home is a care home providing accommodation with personal and nursing care for up to 41 people. There are 40 bedrooms across two floors. One of these bedrooms can be shared. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia, a sensory impairment and/or a physical disability. At the time of our inspection there were 38 people living at the home.

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

Significant improvements had been made since our last inspection. Risks to people’s health and wellbeing had been identified, assessed and managed well. Records guided staff on what to do to minimise identified risks and help keep people safe. Medicines were ordered, stored, administered and disposed of safely. People had access to healthcare services when they needed it.

There were enough staff to keep people safe. People told us staff were kind and considerate. People looked clean and well kempt. Staff demonstrated great patience in difficult situations, and we saw some lovely, relaxed interactions between staff and people. People were encouraged to express their views and be involved in their care. 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.

Staff understood the importance of a positive mealtime experience to encourage people to eat and drink well. Overall, we receive positive feedback about the food provided. People had a choice of what they ate and drank. People were encouraged to have a healthy and balanced diet.

A thorough assessment was carried out before people moved into the home. The registered manager recognised people’s care needs may change in a new environment and ensured people’s care was continually reviewed in line with best practice.

People and where appropriate, their families, were involved with people’s care. Staff understood the importance of knowing people and their lifetime experiences so they could provide care that met people’s preferences and routines. There was a programme of activities and entertainments to provide people with opportunities for social engagement.

Staff received training and had regular opportunities to talk about their role and encouraged to undertake further training and gain qualifications. Staff were compassionate and knew how best to support someone nearing the end of their life and understood the importance of making sure people’s final days were lived as they wanted them to be.

People and relatives consistently told us the home was well-led. The home worked in partnership with others to improve outcomes for people. The provider regularly communicated with people and their relatives to share information and gather their views about the quality of the service. People and relatives knew how to complain and were confident these would be dealt with appropriately. Systems and processes were in place to monitor and improve the quality of care provided and regular checks were completed to ensure people received high quality care.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 10 December 2019) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service and to follow up on breaches identified at the last inspection.

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.