Archived: Alexander Court (Sheffield)

Updated 26 August 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

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

This inspection was completed by two inspectors and an Expert by Experience. 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

Alexander Court (Sheffield) is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with CQC. 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.

Notice of inspection

We gave the service short notice of the inspection to ensure the service was not experiencing significant pressures as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time of the inspection.

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 Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a provider information return prior to this inspection. This is information we require providers to send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report.

During the inspection

We spoke with four people who used the service and 11 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with eight members of staff including the registered manager, nurses, care staff and other ancillary staff.

We spent time observing the daily life in the service and we looked around the building to check environmental safety and cleanliness.

We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We sought further records from the registered manager. They were provided in a timely manner and were used to inform our judgements.

Updated 26 August 2021

About the service

Alexander Court (Sheffield) is a residential care home which provides accommodation and personal or nursing care to adults with a range of support needs. The home can accommodate up to 60 people in an adapted building across two floors. At the time of this inspection there were 35 people using the service.

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

People and their relatives were happy with the quality of care they received. A relative commented, “When my [family member] moved into the home, they were so poorly, I didn’t think they would survive. They are so bright and healthy now. I honestly can’t thank the staff enough.” People received person-centred care which was responsive to their individual needs and preferences. Staff knew people very well. A range of activities were provided to keep people occupied and entertained. People's relatives were being supported to visit the home in a safe way, in line with governance guidance during the COVID-19 pandemic.

People told us they felt safe and we found the provider had systems in place to protect people from avoidable risks. People’s medicines were managed safely. The home was clean and people were protected from the risk of infection. There were enough staff to keep people safe and meet people’s needs, though some people told us there were occasions when they had to wait for support.

The service was well-run. Everyone we spoke to told us the registered manager and representatives of the provider were approachable and listened to any issues they raised. Any complaints were appropriately managed. The provider and registered manager had implemented suitable systems to monitor and improve the safety and quality of the service. There was a friendly, welcoming culture within the service. Staff felt well-supported and they were aware of their responsibilities. Staff worked closely with relevant health and social care professionals which helped to ensure people received effective care and support.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 25 April 2019). At that inspection we identified one breach of regulation in respect of the recruitment of staff. We asked the provider to complete an action plan to explain what they would do and by when to improve.

We completed a targeted inspection (published 5 March 2021) to check whether the provider had made the necessary improvements. We found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

At this inspection we found the provider had sustained those improvements and the provider was not in breach of any regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the key question of ‘is the service safe?’. 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.

This was a focussed inspection to review the key questions of ‘is the service safe?’, ‘is the service responsive?’ and ‘is the service well-led?’. This report only covers our findings in relation to these key questions.

We did not review the key questions of ‘is the service effective’ or ‘is the service caring?’. The ratings for these key questions, which were awarded at the last comprehensive inspection (published 25 April 2019), were used to calculate the overall rating at this inspection.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Alexander Court (Sheffield) on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on our findings at this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.