Telford Court Nursing Home

Telford Court Nursing Home is a care home that provides personal and nursing care for up to 85 people in a purpose-built building. Some people live with dementia. At the time of the inspection 84 people were living in the home.

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

People’s care plans included risk assessments which ensured risks were reduced or mitigated. Risk assessments were regularly reviewed and updated as changes occurred.

Safe recruitment procedures were in place and enough staff were employed to meet people’s needs. The staff and management team worked closely with health and social care professionals to ensure good outcomes for people.

Staff had developed positive relationships with people and their relatives. They had a good understanding of how to meet individual needs.

Medication was managed safely by trained and competent staff. Medication administration records (MARs) were fully completed and regularly reviewed. Medicines policies and procedures were available for staff along with best practice guidance. Staff had access to and understood the importance of personal protective equipment (PPE). Infection control policies and procedures were followed by all staff.

People were protected from the risk of abuse. Safeguarding policies and procedures were in place and staff had received training on how to keep people safe. Staff told us they felt confident to identify and raise any concerns they had about people’s safety. They believed prompt action would be taken.

The service was well-led. Effective audits were completed, and action plans developed to reflect areas for development and improvement.

People, relatives and staff told us that the management team were approachable. The registered manager and staff spoke positively about the provider.

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 30 May 2019) and there were two breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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 coronavirus and other infection outbreaks effectively.

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.

Telford Court Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during the inspection. Telford Court Nursing Home has the capacity to support up to 85 people; at the time of the inspection 85 people were living at the care home.

People’s experience of using this service:

Quality assurance measures were in place however these were not always effective. Areas of improvement we identified during the inspection had not been identified or addressed in routine audits or checks that were in place.

People's level of risk was assessed and monitored from the outset, however risk assessments we checked did not always have the appropriate level of information to enable staff to keep people safe.

Medication processes were in place; although it was identified that some areas of practice could be further strengthened.

We recommend that medication processes are reviewed.

Confidential information was not always protected in line with General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR). Confidential information was immediately secured, and measures were put in place to protect sensitive information.

The registered provider ensured that staffing levels were analysed and reviewed in relation to the capacity and dependency needs of people who were living at Telford Court Nursing Home. However, we received mixed feedback about the levels of staff who were employed.

Recruitment practices were safely in place. People received care and support from staff who had been appropriately vetted and had undergone the appropriate recruitment checks.

Staff were appropriately trained and were supported with training, learning and development opportunities. Staff received regular supervision and told us they felt supported on a day to day basis.

Safeguarding processes were in place and staff were familiar with safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures.

Principles of the Mental Capacity Act, 2005 were followed and complied with. Staff encouraged people to make decisions about the care they needed and people were not unlawfully restricted.

The registered provider had a complaints process in place. Complaints were regularly reviewed and monitored to establish if lessons could be learned and if risk could be further reduced. Complaints were responded to in line with company policy.

We received positive feedback about the kind, caring and compassionate nature of staff. People told us they were treated with kindness, compassion and respect.

We saw examples of person-centred care being provided. People told us that staff were familiar with their support needs and staff explained some of the likes, preferences and wishes of the people they supported.

Rating at last inspection:

This was the first inspection rating since the registered provider registered with CQC in October 2018.

Why we inspected:

The inspection was prompted in part by a notification of an incident; a comprehensive inspection was brought forward due to the concerning information we received.

Improvement action we have told the registered provider to take:

Please see the ‘action we have told the provider to take’ section towards the end of the report.

Follow up:

We will continue to monitor intelligence we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If any concerning information is received, we may inspect sooner.