Archived: Leivers Court Residential Care Home for Older People

Updated 28 July 2018

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 was meeting the legal requirements and regulations associated with the Health and Social Care Act 2008, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

The inspection visit took place on 9 May 2018 and was unannounced. The inspection team consisted of one inspector, an inspection manager 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. They had experience of a range of care services.

We looked at notifications sent to us by the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. The provider completed and submitted a Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We took this into account when we inspected the service and made the judgements in this report. We also spoke with local authorities who commissioned services.

We spoke with 14 people who used the service and six visiting relatives. We also spoke with the activities co-ordinator, three care workers, two team leaders and the registered manager. Throughout the day we observed care practices, the administration of medicines and general interactions between people who used the service and the staff.

We looked at documentation, including five people’s care and support plans, their health records, risk assessments and daily notes. We also looked at three staff files and records relating to the management of the service. They included audits such as medicine administration and maintenance of the environment, staff rotas, training records and policies and procedures.

We asked the registered manager to send us certain information after the inspection, including staff duty rotas, their analysis of accidents and incidents, the training matrix and minutes of recent staff and residents’ meeting. We received these documents within three days of the inspection visit.

Updated 28 July 2018

We inspected Leivers Court Residential Care Home For Older People on 9 May 2018. Leivers 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 was registered to accommodate up to 38 older people, with age related conditions, including frailty, mobility issues and dementia. On the day of our inspection there were 21 people using the service; five of whom were receiving long term care, one person short term care and 15 accommodated on the assessment units.

The service was last inspected on 11 February 2016; no concerns were identified and the service was rated ‘Good’ overall.

There was a registered manager in post, who was present on the day of the inspection. 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.

People received care and support from staff that were appropriately trained and competent to meet their individual needs. There were opportunities for additional training specific to the needs of the service, such as diabetes management and the care of people with dementia. Staff received one-to-one supervision meetings with their line manager.

People’s needs were assessed and improved care plans provided staff with clear guidance about how they wanted their individual needs met. Care plans were personalised and contained appropriate risk assessments. They were regularly reviewed and amended as necessary to ensure they reflected people’s changing support needs.

There were policies and procedures in place to guide staff on how keep people safe from harm.

People were supported with patience, consideration and kindness and their privacy and dignity was respected. People were protected from potential discrimination as staffs were aware of and responded effectively to their identified needs, choices and preferences. People’s individual communication needs were assessed and they were supported to communicate effectively with staff.

Thorough staff recruitment procedures were followed and appropriate pre-employment checks had been made.

Systems were in place to ensure medicines were managed safely in accordance with current regulations and guidance. People received medicines when they needed them and as prescribed.

The registered manager worked in cooperation with health and social care professionals to ensure people received appropriate healthcare and treatment in a timely manner. People were able to access health, social and medical care, as required.

The provider was meeting the legal requirements of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) and the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). 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 were provided with appropriate food and drink to meet their health needs and were happy with the food they received. People’s nutritional needs were assessed and records were accurately maintained to ensure people were protected from risks associated with eating and drinking. Where risks to people had been identified, these had been appropriately monitored and referrals made to relevant professionals, where necessary.

The provider had systems in place to assess the quality of care provided and make improvements when needed. People knew how to make complaints, and the provider had a process to ensure action was taken where this was needed. People were encouraged and supported to express their views about their care and staff were responsive to their comments and views.