Kingfisher Court

Updated 21 July 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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors, a bank inspector, and a specialist nurse advisor. An Expert by Experience made telephone calls to people’s relatives and advocates. 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

Kingfisher 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. Kingfisher 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 not a registered manager in post. The home had an interim manager in place whilst the home recruited a permanent manager. The regional manager was in the process of applying to register with CQC.

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. We used this information to plan our inspection. 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people and 14 relatives who used the service about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 12 members of staff including the interim manager, regional manager, senior care assistants, care assistants, lifestyle manager and co-ordinator, catering staff and the maintenance person. We reviewed a range of records. This included 5 people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 3 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

Updated 21 July 2023

Kingfisher Court is a residential care home registered to provide personal and nursing care, including to those living with dementia. The service can support up to 66 people, at the time of our inspection 55 people were living at the home. The home is split across 3 floors called Acorns, Birch and Cedar. Large outdoor communal areas surround the property.

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

The service was exceptionally caring and responsive to peoples needs. People were supported to follow and pursue the activities, and opportunities that were important to them, embracing new social situations and learning new skills and hobbies without discrimination. People thrived with the care staff provided and people and their relatives praised the care and compassion they received as they neared the end-of-life. People described the care they received as exemplary, amazing and truly uplifting.

Staff worked in collaboration with other health and social care professionals to identify the early signs of health deterioration. This has resulted in early signs of poor health being identified and acted on before impacting people's health. The provider constantly reviewed the performance of all staff but with a clear direction of developing and supporting their careers in adult social care. Health and social care and other professionals praised the management of this service.

The provider constantly reviewed the performance of all staff but with a clear direction of developing and supporting their careers in adult social care. Staff told us their passion and drive to deliver outstanding care had been supported and encouraged by the provider through innovative methods but also by allowing staff time to develop lasting trusting relationships with people. This had culminated in a culture of openness and diversity where nothing was ‘off limits’ and people were supported to achieve their personal aspirations and goals.

People told us the service was well led and they received person centred care. People felt staff respected their backgrounds and choices and provided care in a respectful manner. People's independence improved significantly from the care provided. Relatives we spoke with supported this and told us management were open and approachable. Relatives praised the provider for the communication and updates they received about their loved ones, they said they were not just informed but included and embraced for the essential role they had in people’s welfare and mental health. Management and staff were clear about their roles, responsibilities and continuously looked for ways to develop and improve the service and the level of care provided.

People were protected from the risk of abuse, harm and neglect by suitably trained staff who know them well. Concerns were reported and acted upon. People we spoke with told us they felt safe and enjoyed living at the home. Medicines were administered safely and referrals to other medical professionals were done in a timely way and recommendations were acted upon. There were enough competent staff on shift to ensure people were safe and received good quality care. Staff members told us they were encouraged and given the time to sit and socialise with people to build open and trusting relationships.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

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 the service under the previous provider was requires improvement published on 27 March 2020.

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about manual handling and use of equipment associated with people’s mobility. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well-led sections of this full report.

Follow up

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