Hartford Court

Updated 4 February 2023

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

This inspection was carried out by 1 inspector, 1 specialist advisor who in this case specialised in mental health and behaviours which challenge; 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

Hartford Court 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. Hartford Court is a care home without 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 not a registered manager in post, but an application had been submitted and was being processed.

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 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

We spoke or received communication via email from 15 people, 8 relatives, a GP, a district nurse, 2 care managers and the medicines optimisation team. We spoke with 17 staff, including the regional quality director, regional quality improvement lead, manager, senior care staff, care staff, kitchen, domestic and maintenance staff. We received further feedback via email from 2 staff.

We observed interactions between staff and people in communal areas, including at lunchtime. We reviewed a range of records. This included 9 people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 3 staff files and 2 agency staff records with regards to recruitment and training. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures, were also reviewed.

Updated 4 February 2023

About the service

Hartford Court is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 68 people, some of whom were living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 41 people using the service.

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

People said they received safe care. Since the last inspection systems to monitor people’s safety had improved and risks were documented, and work continued.

Staff knew people well and were able to respond to their individual needs in a timely manner.

Staff knew how to raise safeguarding concerns and lessons were learnt when things went wrong.

Robust recruitment procedures were in place and there were suitable staffing levels, although we have made a recommendation about this. Staff had the necessary skills to carry out their roles and felt supported.

Medicines were managed safely. People had access to healthcare services and staff worked proactively with other organisations. The home was clean and well maintained, including fire safety measures.

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 supported with their dietary requirements and had drinks when required. A good range of activities took place, but more focused stimulation was needed for some people with complex needs. We have made a recommendation about this.

Quality assurance checks were in place to continually monitor the performance of the home.

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 19 May 2022) and there were 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.

At our last inspection we recommended that the provider strengthen their paperwork relating to the Mental Capacity Act, that staffing levels were closely monitored and visiting professionals guidance was reviewed. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on recommendations and had made improvements.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced focused inspection of this service on 3 March 2022. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective and Well-led which contain those requirements.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating. The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good. This is based on the findings at this inspection.

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

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.