We carried out a review of the data available to us about Summercourt on 6 July 2023. We have not found evidence that we need to carry out an inspection or reassess our rating at this stage.
This could change at any time if we receive new information. We will continue to monitor data about this service.
If you have concerns about Summercourt, you can give feedback on this service.
Summercourt is a residential home in Teignmouth, Devon providing accommodation and care for up to 20 people. People living at the home were older people, some of whom were living with dementia or a physical disability. On the day of the inspection, 19 people were living at the home.
The home had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.
We found the home was extremely well managed, with clear lines of responsibility and accountability. It was evident that the management had a passion to provide exceptional care and people were at the centre of everything they did or planned to do. This had led to a home that had a truly positive culture that was person centred, open, inclusive and empowering.
People told us they were very happy living at Summercourt and that staff consistently demonstrated a compassionate, warm and caring approach. Our observations confirmed this and we saw that the atmosphere of the home was one of warmth, happiness and positivity. Staff were seen to consistently show respect, patience and understanding when supporting people. The culture within the home supported a warm and friendly atmosphere. People were supported to maintain good relationships with people that were important to them.
All the people we spoke with during our inspection consistently talked of a home and staff that went the extra mile to achieve an outstanding quality of life for people who lived at Summercourt. They told us people were cared for in an exemplary manner and that support was delivered in an person centred way. Our inspection findings confirmed this.
People felt safe living at the home. Staff understood the need to protect people from harm and knew what action they should take if they had any concerns. Staffing levels ensured that people received the support they required to keep them safe. Recruitment procedures protected people from receiving unsafe care from care staff unsuited to the job.
Staff had the relevant knowledge and skills to support people. Staff received regular supervision and appraisal meetings to monitor their performance and professional development. Staff used feedback from these meetings to improve their practice. Staff received on-going training to enable them meet people's needs.
Care plans described the support people needed and explained people's preferences and routines. People were given choices about how and where they spent their time and this was respected by staff. People were actively involved in decisions about their care and support needs.
People's care plans included risk assessments of activities associated with their personal care and support routines, such as, supporting people with their mobility, personal care, nutrition and minimise risks related to pressure area skin damage. The risk assessments provided information for staff that enabled them to support people safely, protect them from harm or injury but without restricting their independence.
The registered manager understood their responsibilities under the Mental Capacity Act (MCA) 2015. Some documentation did not demonstrate that the principles of the MCA and best interests decision making had been followed where they should. The registered manager acknowledged this oversight and acted immediately to rectify this. Staff had awareness of the MCA and understood they could provide care and support only if a person consented to it and if the proper safeguards were put in place to protect their rights. Appropriate applications had been made to safeguard some people's rights by making applications under the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLs).
People enjoyed the food that was offered to them and were supported to maintain a healthy diet. They could choose what they ate and their preferences and requirements were known and met by staff.
People were supported to take their medicines in a safe and timely manner by competent staff. Medicines were stored, recorded and disposed of safely and appropriately. However, during the inspection we saw that people’s medicated creams had not been dated when they had been opened. We have made a recommendation about the administration of topical medicines.
There was a complaints procedure in place and people were supported and empowered to make a complaint if they wished to. Complaints were investigated and appropriate actions were taken.
The provider and registered manager had ensured there were effective systems for governance, quality assurance and ensuring safe care for people. They demonstrated good leadership, and there was a clear ethos for the service, which was understood and put into practice by the staff. Systems for quality assurance included seeking the views of people living at the home, their relatives and staff about what could be improved and what was working well for them. This was done through questionnaires, regular meetings and forums. Information for people was displayed in the home and included leaflets about people's rights, standards people should expect and outcomes of feedback given.
People lived in a comfortable environment which promoted people's wellbeing and ensured their safety. Regular safety checks were carried out on the environment and equipment and plans were in place to manage emergencies. However, during our tour of the building we saw that not all windows had window restrictors. The registered manager acted immediately to rectify this and keep people safe.
Rooms were decorated to individual taste and people could choose what items to keep there. There was a lift to assist people with all levels of mobility to access all areas of the home. However, we noted that although the home supported people living with dementia, we saw little in the way of signage directing people to their bedrooms, communal rooms, bathrooms, toilets, lifts and stairs. We made a recommendation that the provider take advice about best practice in environmental design for people living with dementia.
Records were well maintained, and notifications had been sent to CQC or other agencies as required by law.
The inspection took place on 22 October 2014 and was unannounced. At our last inspection on 9 October 2013 we found breaches of legal requirements related to the management of medicines and records. The provider sent us an action plan which explained how they would address the breaches of regulations. At this inspection we found these actions had been completed and improvements had been made. The provider now meets the legal requirements.
Summercourt provides care and accommodation for up to 20 people. On the day of the inspection 19 people were living in the home. Summercourt provides care for people who are elderly and frail and may also suffer with mild mental health conditions and/or have restricted mobility. The service had a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission 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.
During the inspection people and staff appeared relaxed, there was a calm and pleasant atmosphere. Comments included; “It just feels so homely, staff are friendly, there is always a lot of laughter going on” and “The staff are so kind, warm, adorable and genuine.” People told us they had the freedom to move around freely as they chose and enjoyed living in the home.
People spoke highly about the care and support they received, one person said, “The care here is brilliant, I wish I’d come here sooner.” Another stated: “It’s lovely here and the staff are so polite, kind and caring.” Care records were personalised and gave people control. Staff responded quickly to people’s change in needs. People were now involved in identifying their needs and how they would like to be supported. People’s preferences were sought and respected.
People’s risks were managed well and monitored. People were promoted to live full and active lives and were supported to access the community. Activities reflected people’s interests and individual hobbies.
People had their medicines managed safely. People received their medicines as prescribed, received them on time and understood what they were for. People were supported to maintain good health through regular access to healthcare professionals, such as GPs, social workers, occupational therapist and district nurses.
People told us they felt safe. Staff understood their role with regards to the Mental Capacity Act (2005) (MCA) and the associated Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). Applications were made and advice was sought to help safeguard people and respect their human rights. All staff had undertaken training on safeguarding adults from abuse, they displayed good knowledge on how to report any concerns and described what action they would take to protect people against harm. Staff told us they felt confident any incidents or allegations would be fully investigated.
Staff described the management to be very open, supportive and approachable. Staff talked positively about their jobs. Comments included: “I just want to say how lovely it is to work here.”; “I definitely love my job and feel extremely valued” and “The pride I get from working here says everything.”
Staff received a comprehensive induction programme. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staff were appropriately trained and had the correct skills to carry out their roles effectively. One staff member said: “I’m so happy with all the training I get, I love it.”
There were effective quality assurance systems in place. Incidents were appropriately recorded and analysed. Feedback from people, friends, relatives and staff was encouraged. Learning from incidents and concerns raised were used to help drive improvements and ensure positive progress was made in the delivery of care and support provided by the home.
We found that people were well cared for and that there were enough staff to support them. We found that people received the care they needed, and were asked for their consent to care and treatment. We found that the systems for medication management ensured people had the correct medication at the right time. However we found that some records were not up to date or clear enough to ensure people received consistent care.
One person living at the home told us 'It's my choice what I do. I like to lie here and think. I don't want my television on. I have my own music in my head to listen to'. A relative we spoke with told us 'XXXX is very happy here. She trusts them to make the right decisions over her care and feels they have got to know her as a person'.
The provider was making an application to remove some unused regulated activities for which the home is registered. This will not affect the services offered.
Most people were able to tell us about their experiences of living at the home. They told us that they very much enjoyed it and that staff were very kind to them. We saw that staff interacted well with people who lived at the home. We saw that staff treated people with respect.
We found that there was a relaxed atmosphere within the home and staff were observed to relate well to the people living there. When we spoke with people they told us that they felt safe in the home. All the people we spoke with were positive about the staff. Expressions such as "Wonderful" and "Always happy" were used.
People that we spoke with were very happy with the quality of care provided by the home. One person told us "Can't pick no fault here and I'm a hard one to please". They also said "I think it's lovely - as soon as I came in the door I thought I'm going to be happy here".
When we spoke with staff they were able to tell us what they did to support people and knew what to do for them if they needed any additional support.