This inspection took place on 7 and 8 April 2015 and was unannounced.
Scraptoft Court Care Home is a care home that provides residential and nursing care for up to 34 people. The home specialises in caring for older people including those with physical disabilities, people living with dementia or those who require end of life care. At the time of our inspection there were 29 people in residence.
A registered manager was 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 found the premises had not been well maintained, or secured. Damaged equipment, environmental risks and faults had not always been assessed, repaired or replaced in a timely manner. Improvements were needed to ensure people lived in a clean and safe place which protected their health and welfare.
The provider’s quality governance and assurance systems were not used effectively and consistently to ensure people’s health, safety and welfare. People had limited opportunity to share their views about the service and make suggestions on how the service could be improved.
People we spoke with told us that their care and support needs were provided safely. People were protected from harm and abuse. Staff were knowledgeable about meeting people’s needs and their responsibilities in reporting any concerns about a person’s safety including protecting people from harm and abuse. Medicines were stored safely and people said they received their medicines at the right time.
Staff were recruited in accordance with the provider’s recruitment procedures. This ensured staff were qualified and suitable to work with people at the home. The service continues to use agency staff to ensure people were supported in a timely and their care needs were met.
Staff received an induction when they commenced work. Although on-going training was not monitored plans had been put into place to ensure staff received the relevant training for their job role in a timely manner. Staff were knowledgeable about people’s needs and could refer to people’s care records. Staff received support through meetings and staff appraisals. We observed the staff supported people safely when using equipment to support people.
People were protected under the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The registered manager and staff understood their role in supporting people to maintain control and make decisions which affected their daily lives. Referrals, where appropriate, had been made to supervisory bodies where people did not have capacity to make decisions to were made in the individual’s best interest.
People were provided with a choice of meals that met their dietary needs. Drinks and snacks were readily available. People at risk of poor nutrition had assessments and plans of care in place for the promotion of their health.
People’s social needs were met. People received visitors and spent time with them as they chose. There were a range of opportunities for people to take part in hobbies and activities that were of interest to them, including meeting people’s religious and spiritual needs.
People’s health needs were met by the nurses and health care professionals. Staff sought appropriate medical advice and support form health care professionals when people’s health was of concern and were supported to attend routine health checks.
People told us that they were treated with care and that staff were helpful. We observed staff respected people’s dignity when they needed assistance. Some shared bedrooms had privacy screens and new screens had been ordered to promote people’s privacy and dignity.
People were involved in making decisions about their care and in the development of their plans of care. Where appropriate their relatives or representatives and relevant health care professionals were also consulted to ensure people received person centred care.
People were confident to raise any issues, concerns or to make complaints, which would be listened to and acted on appropriately. Records showed complaints received had been documented and included the outcome and response to the complainant.
Staff knew they could make comments or raise concerns with the management team about the way the service was run and knew it would be acted on.
The registered manager understood their responsibilities and demonstrated a commitment to provide quality care. Throughout our inspection visit the registered manager took action when issues and shortfalls were identified.
The registered manager worked with the local authority commissioners that monitor the service for people they funded to ensure people received care that was appropriate and safe.
We found a breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.