Northbourne Court

Updated 25 October 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.

Inspection team

This inspection took place on 5 and 11 October 2023 and was unannounced. The inspection team on the first day consisted of 3 inspectors, a specialist adviser, 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. One inspector attended the home on the second day of the inspection.

Service and service type

Northbourne 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. Northbourne 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 a registered manager in post.

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before 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 with 3 people who used the service and 7 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 3 visiting health care professionals. We also spoke with 16 care staff, 2 kitchen staff, the deputy manager, the registered manager, and the regional support manager. We reviewed a range of records. This included 19 people’s care records and medication records. We looked at staff files in relation to recruitment and staff training. We also reviewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service including quality monitoring checks and audits and policies and procedures.

Updated 25 October 2023

Northbourne Court is a residential care home that provides accommodation across four separate units, each of which has separate adapted facilities for up to 120 older people, some living with dementia. At the time of this inspection 105 people were using the service.

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

There were safeguarding procedures in place and the registered manager staff had a clear understanding of these procedures. Appropriate recruitment checks had taken place before staff started work at the home. There were enough staff deployed to meet people’s needs. There were procedures in place to reduce the risk of infections. There were effective systems in place for monitoring, investigating, and learning from incidents and accidents. People’s medicines were managed safely.

We have made a recommendation about the management of waste medicines.

People’s care and support needs were assessed when they moved into the home. Risks to people had been assessed to ensure their needs were met safely. Staff were supported through induction, training, and regular supervision. Staff had the skills and experience to support people with their care needs. People were supported to maintain a healthy balanced diet and they had access to health care professionals when they needed them. The design of the premises was meeting people's needs. 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.

People and their relatives had been consulted about their care and support needs. People were provided with a range of activities to support their need for social interaction and stimulation. Staff understood the importance of working within the principles of the Equality Act and supported people in meeting their diverse needs. There was a complaints procedure in place. People had access to end-of-life care and support when it was required.

The registered manager and staff worked in partnership with health and social care providers to plan and deliver an effective service. The provider took people, their relatives, and staffs views into account through surveys and meetings. There were effective systems in place to monitor the quality and safety of the service and any learning was identified and acted on. Staff told us they enjoyed working at the home and received good support from the registered manager and deputy manager.

Rating at last inspection. The last rating for this service was good (published 28 April 2018).

Why we inspected

This inspection was prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

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 COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC 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.