Alt Park Nursing Home

Updated 24 November 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 2 inspectors, and a medicines inspector on day 1, and 2 inspectors and an Expert by Experience (EXE) on day 2 of our inspection. An EXE is a person who has experience of caring for someone in this type of setting.

Service and service type

Alt Park Nursing Home is a 'care home'. People in care services receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Alt Park is a care home with 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. However, there was a home manager who was in the process of submitting their forms to register with CQC.

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 worked with the service. We used all of this information to plan our inspection.

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

During the inspection

We looked around the premises, observed the interactions between people living at the home, care delivery and activities provided for people.

We spoke with 4 people who used the service and 3 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 7 members of staff including the home manager, deputy manager, operations manager, clinical support nurse, senior care workers, maintenance person and care workers.

We looked at a range of documentation during the inspection. This included care records for 6 people and medication records. Safer recruitment checks were completed for 3 staff members. Health and safety records including accident and incidents, safeguarding records were also reviewed. Along with audits relating to quality checks undertaken by staff and managers.

Updated 24 November 2023

Alt Park Nursing Home is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 35 people aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection there were 33 people living at the home.

People's experience of using the service and what we found

The provider had improved some of their approach to governance. Audits of care plans we viewed identified concerns, however, there were no follow up audits completed to check actions had been completed. Therefore, we could not demonstrate a consistent approach to oversight and governance. Medication audits did not identify the concerns we found during our inspection. People were at risk of receiving care that did not meet their needs. Some records were either incomplete, inaccurate, or lacked detail to provide staff with guidance on how to support people appropriately. Records relating to complaints and incident and accidents required further development. There were no records of mattress checks on day 1 of our inspection, which we fed back to the provider, when we returned for day 2, these had been implemented.

Despite some improvements made since the last inspection people remained at risk of avoidable harm because some risk assessments lacked detail and also contained some conflicting and confusing information. We fed back some of our concerns after day 1 of our inspection, and the provider took action to ensure people were safe.

The provider had not addressed all of the issues from the last inspection, we found the systems in place to manage people’s medicines were unsafe which placed them at risk of harm.

People told us they felt safe and well cared for at Alt Park, one comment included, “I have no doubt that my [family member] is safe here at Alt Park.” Staff we spoke with said the home had improved and they liked the manager. Comments included, “The manager is open and transparent."

Everyone we spoke with commented on the kind and caring nature of the staff. Comments included, “The care is excellent; the staff are like Angels.”

The environment had improved and the home was clean, tidy and in a good state of repair. A maintenance person had been employed and was working through a home improvement plan.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff did support them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service did support this practice.

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

The last rating for this service was Inadequate, report published 26/6/23

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 the provider had made some improvements, however, remained in breach of regulations in relation to safe care and treatment and governance.

This service has been in Special Measures since 26/6/23. During this inspection the provider demonstrated improvements that have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

When we last inspected Alt Park in March 2023 breaches of legal requirements were found. This inspection was undertaken to check whether they were now meeting the legal requirements.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to safe care and treatment, governance and records.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow Up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.