Chamberlaine Court

Updated 17 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

Three inspectors and an Expert by Experience completed this inspection. 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

Chamberlaine 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. Chamberlaine 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 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

The first day of our inspection was unannounced. We informed the provider we would return for a second day to complete our inspection.

What we did before 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 10 people, 10 relatives and 6 healthcare professionals about their experience of the care provided. We also spoke with 15 members of staff including 10 care workers, a senior staff member, the cook, the registered manager, a regional manager and the provider’s director of elder services. We carried out observations of staff practice and their interactions with people so we could understand people’s experiences of the care they received.

We reviewed a range of records. This included information contained in 11 people's care records and samples of medicine records and daily records. We also looked at records that related to the management and quality assurance of the home.

Updated 17 December 2022

About the service

Chamberlaine Court is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 38 people, including people with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 30 people using the service. Care is provided across two floors. A communal lounge and dining area are located on each floor. People's bedrooms were ensuite and there were further communal bathroom facilities located on each floor.

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

At this inspection, there continued to be a lack of effective oversight to ensure standards and regulations were maintained. Some areas previously identified as a concern remained, and new areas of concern were identified.

Chamberlaine Court has not achieved an overall rating of good for the last four inspections dating back to November 2020. The home has continued to fall short of the expected minimum standards of care, people living in care settings should receive.

At our last inspection, we issued a warning notice because the provider had not adequately assessed risks and done all that was practicable to mitigate any such risks. The warning notice had been met in part, however, further action was needed to ensure people received safe care and treatment. Risks to people's health had not always been identified, assessed or monitored to ensure staff provided safe care and treatment.

Prior to our inspection we received concerns about insufficient numbers of staff. We found there were enough staff to keep people safe, but staffing numbers did not always ensure care was delivered in a timely way which promoted people’s dignity and emotional well-being. Although we received some positive feedback, most people and relatives told us there were not enough staff.

Despite our findings, we found some improvements had been made. Risks related to skin breakdown had been identified, assessed and mitigated and people who required support, assistance and encouragement to maintain good hydration and nourishment, received effective support. The cleanliness of the home had improved, and we received positive feedback about the improvement in infection control processes.

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.

The staff culture was positive and staff were working together to make the required improvements. The manager at our last inspection was now registered with the CQC and was aware improvements were required at the home. They had completed a monthly action plan following our last inspection so we could monitor the progress of the home in line with our regulatory functions.

We received positive feedback about the registered manager from people, relatives, staff and other healthcare professionals who agreed the home was on an improvement trajectory.

The home was being supported by the local authority and a variety of healthcare professionals to make improvements to the home. This support was ongoing and had been welcomed by the registered manager.

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 inadequate (published 01 August 2022) and there were breaches of the 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 the provider remained in breach of regulations.

This service has been in Special Measures since 07 June 2022. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that some improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced focussed inspection of this service on 31 May 2022. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. In addition, we had received further concerns in relation to staffing numbers and poor-quality care. This report only covers our findings in relation to the key questions safe, effective and well-led which contain those requirements.

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.

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

The overall rating for the service has changed from inadequate to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection. We found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. 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 Chamberlaine Court on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to governance and safe care and treatment at this inspection. Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect. 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.