Wheatsheaf Court Care Home

Updated 6 April 2024

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

The inspection was conducted by 1 inspector, 2 Experts by Experience and a specialist nurse advisor. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of service.

Service and service type

Wheatsheaf Court Care Home 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. Wheatsheaf Court Care Home is a care home with 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 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 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

During the inspection we spoke with 9 people who used the service and 16 relatives about their experience of the care provided. A health and social care professional also shared their feedback with us. We also spoke with 8 staff members including care staff and nursing staff. We also spoke with the registered manager, activities coordinator and the area support manager. We reviewed a range of records, these included people's care records, medicines administration records and governance and quality assurance records. We also looked at 4 staff recruitment files.

Updated 6 April 2024

About the service

Wheatsheaf Court Care Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 55 people. The service provides support to people with nursing needs, mental health needs and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 40 people using the service. The home supports people over 3 floors.

People’s experience of the service and what we found:

People did not always receive person centred care that considered their individual needs. The support provided to people at mealtimes continued to need improvement. Staff did not support people with their meals in a person centred and timely manner. Governance systems in place were not effective in identifying and taking timely actions.

People were protected from the risk of harm. Staff knew how to identify possible signs of abuse and how to escalate concerns. People received their medicines as prescribed. There were enough staff to support people safely and respond to their needs. Staff had been safely recruited. Where things went wrong action was taken to reduce the risk of reoccurrence and learn for the future.

People's needs had been assessed and care plans contained details of their wishes and preferences. Staff knew people's needs and understood their likes and dislikes. Staff had received training , however, staff did not always support people in a person centred way. Staff felt supported by the management team. People's health needs were managed with the support of external agencies.

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.

There were a variety of systems in place to monitor and assess the care provided. Where areas for action were identified during the inspection, the provider took immediate action. There was a positive culture and a commitment to continuous learning and improvement. Most areas of concern identified in the previous inspection had been addressed.

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 Requires Improvement (published 7 May 2023) and there was a breach of regulations. At this inspection we found the provider remained in breach of regulations. The service remains requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last four consecutive inspections.

Why we inspected

When we last inspected Wheatsheaf Court Care Home on 7 May 2023 breaches of legal requirements were found. This inspection was undertaken to check whether they were now meeting the legal requirements.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to person centred care and good governance and leadership at this inspection. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

Follow Up

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.