Shaftesbury Court (High Street)

Updated 26 February 2022

We carried out this inspection under Section 60 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 as part of our regulatory functions. This inspection was planned to check whether the provider is meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008.

As part of CQC’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic we are looking at how services manage infection control and visiting arrangements. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection prevention and control measures the provider had in place. We also asked the provider about any staffing pressures the service was experiencing and whether this was having an impact on the service.

This inspection took place on 10 February 2022 and was announced. We gave the service 48 hours notice of the inspection.

Updated 26 February 2022

This inspection took place on 14 and 15 August 2018. It was an unannounced visit to the service.

We previously inspected the service on the 1 March 2017. That was a focused inspection to follow up on a previous breach of the regulations about staffing levels and deployment of staff. At the last inspection we found the service had met the breach of the regulation.

Shaftesbury Court (High Street)] 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 care home can accommodate up to 18 people, at the time of our inspection 16 people were living at the home. The accommodation is split into four flats which have four bedrooms, kitchen and lounge areas. There is a communal lounge and dining area on the ground floor. People had free access to the garden areas.

At our last inspection we rated the service good. At this inspection we found the evidence continued to support the rating of good and there was no evidence or information from our inspection and ongoing monitoring that demonstrated serious risks or concerns. This inspection report is written in a shorter format because our overall rating of the service has not changed since our last inspection.

The care service has been developed and designed in line with the values that underpin the Registering the Right Support and other best practice guidance. These values include choice, promotion of independence and inclusion. People with learning disabilities and autism using the service can live as ordinary a life as any citizen. The care home was located within a small village location with access to a wide range of community facilities. This included, food shops, public houses, community centre and charity shops.

The service had a registered manager in post. 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.

We received positive feedback from people, their relatives and staff on their experience of the service. Comments included “I like living here,” “It is very good” and “I like living here I do.”

The care home benefitted from longstanding staff members. This enabled strong and well-established working relationships. It was clear that staff were fully aware of people’s likes and dislikes. People demonstrated they were able to make staff aware of their needs. This was through verbal and non-verbal communication.

The provider had processes in place to undertake pre-employment checks on staff to ensure they were suitable to work with people.

Staff were supported to develop their skills and knowledge through training. Systems were in place to monitor staff training to ensure they were equipped with up to date knowledge.

Staff were aware of the need to report any incidents and accidents. Lessons were learnt from incidents and accidents as there was a clear audit process in place.

People were supported to engage in meaningful activities and keep in contact with family and friends.

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.

Further information is in the detailed findings below.