Archived: Abbotts Court

Updated 20 October 2015

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

This inspection took place on 27 August 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting. One Adult Social Care inspector, a specialist advisor in nursing and an expert by experience took part in this inspection. An expert by experience is a person who has personal experience of using, or caring for someone who uses, this type of care service.

Before we visited the home we checked the information we held about this location and the service provider, for example, inspection history, safeguarding notifications and complaints. No concerns had been raised. We also contacted professionals involved in caring for people who used the service, including commissioners, safeguarding staff and a community nurse. No concerns were raised by any of these professionals.

Before the inspection, the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During our inspection we spoke with thirteen people who used the service and seven family members. We also spoke with the manager, assistant operations director, two senior care staff, three care staff and the maintenance staff.

We looked at the personal care or treatment records of five people who used the service and observed how people were being cared for. We also looked at the personnel files for four members of staff.

Updated 20 October 2015

This inspection took place on 27 August 2015 and was unannounced. This meant the staff and provider did not know we would be visiting.

Abbotts Court provides care and accommodation for up to 39 older people and people with a dementia type illness. On the day of our inspection there were 29 people using the service.

The home did not have a registered manager in place. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission (CQC) 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 home had a new manager in post who had applied with CQC to be the registered manager.

Abbotts Court was last inspected by CQC on 18 June 2013 and was compliant.

There were sufficient numbers of staff on duty in order to meet the needs of people who used the service. The provider had an effective recruitment and selection procedure in place and carried out relevant checks when they employed staff.

Accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns had been recorded appropriately and analysis carried out, for example, on falls.

Medicines were administered appropriately and people received their medicines at the time they needed them.

Staff training was up to date and staff received regular supervisions and appraisals, which meant that staff were properly supported to provide care to people who used the service.

The home was clean, spacious and suitable for the people who used the service.

CQC monitors the operation of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) which applies to care homes. The Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS) are part of the Mental Capacity Act 2005. They aim to make sure that people in care homes, hospitals and supported living are looked after in a way that does not inappropriately restrict their freedom. We discussed DoLS with the registered manager and looked at records. We found the provider was following the requirements in the DoLS.

People who used the service, and family members, had provided consent to care and treatment.

People who used the service, and family members, were complimentary about the standard of care at Abbotts Court.

Staff treated people with dignity and respect and helped to maintain people’s independence by encouraging them to care for themselves where possible.

We saw that the home had a full programme of activities in place for people who used the service.

Care records showed that people’s needs were assessed before they moved into Abbotts Court and care plans were written in a person centred way.

The provider had a complaints policy and procedure in place and people knew how to make a complaint.

The service had strong links with the local community.

The provider had a robust quality assurance system in place and gathered information about the quality of their service from a variety of sources.