St. James Court

Updated 9 April 2021

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 coronavirus pandemic we are looking at the preparedness of care homes in relation to infection prevention and control. This was a targeted inspection looking at the infection control and prevention measures the provider has in place.

This inspection took place on 24 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 9 April 2021

About the service

St. James Court is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to 50 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 58 older people, including those living with dementia.

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

There were systems in place to recognise and respond to any allegations of abuse. Safe recruitment procedures made sure staff were of suitable character and background. There were enough staff employed to help keep people safe. However, the regional manager agreed to deploy staff more effectively during busier times of the day. Medicines were stored safely and securely. There were effective systems in place to ensure people received their medicines as prescribed.

Staff were provided with an effective induction and relevant training to make sure they had the right skills and knowledge for their role. Staff were supported in their jobs through supervisions and an annual appraisal.

People enjoyed the food served at St. James Court and were supported to eat and drink to maintain a balanced diet. People were supported to maintain good health and have access to health and social care services as required. The service would benefit from further development to better meet the needs of people living with dementia. The registered manager and regional manager told us this work was in progress.

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice.

Positive and supportive relationships had been developed between people, their relatives and staff. People told us they were treated with dignity and respect and we saw this throughout the day of the inspection. There were activities available to people living at St. James Court.

The registered manager and staff were approachable and responsive to any issues raised. There were effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service provided. The service had policies and procedures which reflected current legislation and good practice guidance.

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

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 19 April 2017).

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.