St Clair Gardens

Updated 12 May 2022

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.

This was a targeted inspection to check whether the provider had met the requirements of a concern we had about the role of the enhanced support worker. This role was being used to cover the home when registered nurses were unavailable to be on site and to look at the governance of this issue.

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

One inspector carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

St Clair Gardens 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. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. 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.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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

We used feedback people had sent to CQC, spoke with the manager, deputy manager and a member of the staff team. We reviewed policies and procedures relating to the issue raised.

Updated 12 May 2022

About the service

St Clair Gardens is a care home that provides care for up to 14 older and younger adults who are living with a mental health diagnosis. 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. At the time of the inspection 12 people were living at St Clair Gardens.

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

Everyone we spoke with praised the management and staff for the quality of the service provided. 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.

People were safe from abuse and avoidable harm. There were effective safeguarding procedures in place which staff followed. Staff knew how and who to report any concerns to. There were enough staff to support people safely. There were systems in place for any absence of staff and managers, so people continued to receive their support as planned.

Staff were recruited safely and had the right skills and experience to meet people’s needs. The environment was clean, well maintained and a safe place for people to live. Evacuation procedures were robust in the event of an emergency.

Staff followed infection prevention and control procedures to reduce risk of infection and people received their medicines as required.

People’s needs, and choices were assessed before they used the service. Risks to people’s health and well-being were managed. Staff received training and updates on best practice guidelines that were appropriate to people they supported.

People were supported with kind and compassionate care. Staff protected people’s dignity and confidentiality discreetly. Staff were sensitive to people’s individual needs and they understood how best to support people. Relationships between people and staff were positive. Changes to people’s health were reported and monitored, and staff supported people to their appointments.

Support was person centred and delivered the way people preferred and met their individual needs. Staff understood people’s needs with regards to the protected characteristics of the Equality Act 2010. Information was available to people in accessible formats and staff knew people’s communication needs and understood how best to engage people.

People were involved with activities, hobbies, and interests of their choosing. The atmosphere in the home was warm and friendly and people were happy in their surroundings.

People knew how to make a complaint and would feel confident doing so. People had opportunity to meet with the registered manager to discuss any concerns. Visitors were warmly welcomed at times suitable to them.

The service was managed well and there was an effective quality assurance processes in place. Action plans were developed following any shortfalls in the service and the registered manager worked closely with health and social care services.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 11 May 2018 and this was the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned 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.