Dovedale Court

Updated 13 November 2019

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.

Inspection team

The inspection was carried out by one Inspector, a medicine Inspector, a Specialist Advisor who was a Registered Nurse 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

Dovedale Court 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 home consists of two floors, with the nursing unit based on the first floor, and dementia unit on the ground.

The service had a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission. 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

The inspection was unannounced. We visited the home on 30 September 2019.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed the records held on the service. 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.

We also reviewed notifications received from the provider about incidents or accidents which they are required to send us by law. We sought feedback from the local authority and other professionals who work with the service. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We looked at five people’s care records to see how their care was planned and delivered, including pre-assessment records and risk assessments. Other records we looked at included staff training records, accident and incident records, safeguarding, complaints and compliments, staff scheduling, management of medication and the provider’s audits, quality assurance and overview information about the service.

We spoke with 8 people living at the service and 7 relatives. As some people were unable to share their views with us, we used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care for people who are unable to speak with us.

We spoke with two care staff, two senior care staff, one nurse, deputy manager, area manager and the registered manager.

Updated 13 November 2019

About the service

Dovedale Court is a care home which provides personal care with nursing where assessed as needed to predominately older people, although can accommodate younger adults. The service can also accommodate people with dementia. Dovedale Court is registered to accommodate 76 people. 70 people lived at the service when we visited.

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

We found that some people’s medicines were not managed to ensure people received them safely and in accordance with their health needs and the prescriber's instructions. We also found that for some medicines there were no written protocols in place to inform staff on how to prepare and administer. We found audits undertaken had not identified issues with medication management identified during the inspection.

People were supported by staff that were caring, compassionate and treated with dignity and respect. People felt comfortable in the company of staff who supported them. Any concerns or worries were listened and responded to and used as opportunities to improve. Staff were aware of the risks to people and how to manage those risks.

People received person centred care and support based on their individual needs and preferences. Staff were aware of people's life histories and individual preferences. They used this information to develop positive, meaningful relationships with people. Staff were very knowledgeable about people’s changing needs and people and their relatives confirmed that changing needs were addressed.

People told us they felt well cared for by staff who treated them with respect and dignity and encouraged them to maintain relationships and keep their independence for as long as possible. People could maintain friendships and contact with families.

People were supported by staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs. Staff understood and felt confident in their role. People told us the atmosphere at the home was relaxed and calm.

Staff liaised with other health care professionals to ensure people's safety and meet their health needs. Where people lacked capacity, staff worked with the local authority to make sure they minimised any restrictions on people's freedom for their safety and wellbeing.

Staff spoke positively about working for the provider. They felt well supported and that they could talk to management at any time, feeling confident any concerns would be acted on promptly. They felt valued and happy in their role. Staff had received an induction that provided them with the training, information and support they required to effectively and safely meet people’s needs.

Rating at last inspection:

The last rating for this service was Good (published 12 November 2018).

Why we inspected:

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the pre-assessment processes and medicine management of the home. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

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

Enforcement:

We have identified a breach in relation to safe care and treatment at this inspection. The provider responded to the concerns on the day of the inspection.

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 return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

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