28 June 2022
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Stour Road Care Home is a residential care home registered to provide care and support for up to 20 people. The home is accessed over three floors by stairs or a lift, there were communal areas and a conservatory with level access to a secure garden. There were 20 people receiving care and support, some of whom were living with dementia.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Improvements had been made to personalised care since our last inspection. However, we have made a recommendation about activities and social engagement within the home, as improvements had not been embedded.
Care plans were detailed and contained relevant information about how to support a person in the ways they preferred. Information regarding specific health conditions were not person specific, we raised this with the registered manager and they immediately sought to rectify it. Staff knew people well and they encouraged people to live good lives.
Risk assessments were comprehensive and contained relevant information to support staff to keep people safe whilst living their lives. Risk assessments were clear and detailed, especially for those who needed support due to emotional distress. Staff knew people’s risks well and were clear on how to raise concerns if they thought someone was at risk of harm or abuse. Staff were confident their concerns would be followed up and acted upon, they also knew who to contact outside of the home if needed.
People received their medicines as prescribed, staff who gave medicines were trained and had their competency assessed. Safe procedures were in place for ordering and storage. Robust recruitment processes meant people had the necessary skills and qualifications to provide care and support to people. The necessary checks had taken place to establish staff suitability. There were enough staff on duty, however, unplanned sickness and shortages of staff meant recruitment was ongoing.
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 necessary authorisation to deprive a person of their liberty was in place and conditions within them met fully by the home. This meant they were acting in full compliance with the law, protecting people’s rights.
Quality assurance and governance systems operated effectively. Audits and checks were undertaken and a multi-layered approach to management meant the service could continually learn and improve. The registered manager was respected and known for their open and transparent practice. The home had good links with external agencies and worked well with others.
Staff felt proud to work at Stour Road Care Home and we received positive feedback about the management of the home following changes within recent months. Staff felt appreciated and were involved in the home.
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 this service was good (published 24 March 2021).
Why we inspected
This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.
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.