Mallard Court

Updated 11 January 2020

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 Care Act 2014.

Inspection team

On day one the service was visited by one inspector, an assistant inspector 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. On day two, one inspector visited the service.

Service and service type

Mallard Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered with CQC. 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.

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 spoke with other 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 with key information about their service, what they do well, and improvements they plan to make. This information helps support our inspections

During the inspection-

We spoke with six people who used the service and four relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six members of staff including registered manager, area manager, unit manager, a nurse and care workers. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us. We reviewed a range of records. This included four people's care records and multiple medication records. We looked at three staff files in relation to recruitment and two to review staff supervision records. Multiple records relating to the management of the service and a variety of policies and procedures developed and implemented by the provider were reviewed. We also spoke with a visiting health professional.

After the inspection-

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to corroborate evidence found. We looked at training data, staff supervision data and quality assurance records.

Updated 11 January 2020

About the service

Mallard Court is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care to 58 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 70 people.

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

People living at Mallard Court were happy and supported by well trained staff. Risks to people were assessed and reviewed on a regular basis. Staff understood their roles clearly and knew what was expected of them and the principles of keeping people safe. Staff were recruited safely.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Care plans described the support people needed to maintain their mental and physical health. Changes to people's needs were quickly identified and amendments were made to reflect their up to date care. The environment was dementia friendly with accessible gardens. People and their relatives told us there was a wide variety of activities to take part in if they chose this.

Staff were kind and caring. People and their relatives told us the staff were always available

and created a friendly welcoming service. Staff had clear knowledge of people's diverse needs and it was clear that trusting relationships had been formed. People were treated with respect, dignity, and supported to maintain their independence.

People’s communication needs were assessed, and information was available in accessible formats for those who required it. Complaints were dealt with accordingly and end of life care was provided in a dignified, respectful manner.

The registered manager had worked at the service for nine months and had concentrated on making improvements that were needed following the last inspection. The registered manager had invested time in empowering staff and creating an open and transparent service. Staff demonstrated a passion for person-centred care and placed people's wellbeing at the heart of their work. Quality assurance systems in place monitored the service effectively and drove improvements when they were needed. Lessons learnt were used as learning opportunities to continuously develop the service.

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 27 November 2018).

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating.

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.