This inspection took place on 5 September 2018 and was unannounced. Ruckland Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection. It provides accommodation for older people and those with mental health conditions or dementia. The home can accommodate up to people in one adapted building. At the time of our inspection there were 48 people living in the home.At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post. The registered manager had recently been appointed as area manager and was in the process of inducting a new manager. The new manager will be referred to in the report as ‘manager’. They were working at the home on the day of our inspection and planned to register with CQC. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated regulations about how the service is run.
The service had previously been rated as ‘requires improvement’. At this inspection the service was rated as ‘good’. The service had addressed the issues raised at previous inspections and arrangements were in place to deliver safe care and improve quality.
There were systems, processes and practices to safeguard people from situations in which they may experience abuse including financial mistreatment. Risks to people’s safety had been assessed, monitored and managed so they were supported to stay safe while their freedom was respected. The environment was clean. There were arrangements to prevent and control infections.
Guidance was in place to ensure people received their medicines when required. Medicines were administered safely.
Where people were unable to make decisions arrangements were in place to ensure decisions were made in people's best interests. Best interests decisions were specific to the decisions which were needed to be made.
A system was in place to carry out suitable quality checks and appropriate checks had been regularly carried out. The provider had ensured that there was enough staff on duty. In addition, people told us that they received person-centred care. Sufficient background checks had been completed before new staff had been appointed according to the provider’s policy.
Staff had been supported to deliver care in line with current best practice guidance. Arrangements were in place to ensure staff received training to provide care appropriately and effectively. People were helped to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet. People had access to healthcare services so that they received on-going healthcare support.
People were supported to have choice and control of their lives. Staff supported them in the least restrictive ways possible. The policies and systems in the service supported this practice.
People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion and they were given emotional support when needed. They had also been supported to express their views and be involved in making decisions about their care as far as possible. People had access to lay advocates if necessary. Confidential information was kept private.
Information was provided to people in an accessible manner. People had been supported to access a range of activities. People were supported to access local community facilities. The registered manager recognised the importance of promoting equality and diversity. People’s concerns and complaints were listened and responded to in order to improve the quality of care. Arrangements were in place to support people at the end of their life.
The registered manager promoted a positive culture in the service that was focused upon achieving good outcomes for people. They had also taken steps to enable the service to meet regulatory requirements. Staff had been helped to understand their responsibilities to develop good team work and to speak out if they had any concerns. People, their relatives and members of staff had been regularly consulted about making improvements in the service. There were arrangements for working in partnership with other agencies to support the development of joined-up care.
Further information is in the detailed findings below.