Elmbrook Court Care Home

Updated 3 August 2022

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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This was conducted so we can understand the preparedness of the service in preventing or managing an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

The inspection team consisted of three inspectors 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.

Service and service type

Elmbrook 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. Elmbrook Court is a care home [with/without] nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

At the time of our inspection there was a registered manager in post.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the service registered with us. 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. We looked at notifications received from the provider. A notification is information about important events which the provider is required to tell us about by law. This ensured we were addressing any areas of concern. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with nine people who used the service and one person’s relative. Some people living in the home could not verbally give us feedback. As such we looked around the home and observed the way staff interacted with people. We further received feedback from six relatives. We also received feedback from two healthcare professionals. We looked at six people's care records and six medicine administration records (MAR). We spoke with 12 members of staff including the registered manager, the clinical lead, nurses, carers, the chef, domestic staff, lifestyle coaches and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We reviewed a range of records relating to people's care and the way the service was managed. These included staff training records, five staff recruitment files, quality assurance audits, incidents and accidents reports, complaints records, and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 3 August 2022

About the service

Elmbrook Court is a purpose-built residential care home providing personal and nursing care to up to 74 people across three separate floors, each of which has separate adapted facilities. One of the floors specialises in providing care to people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 31 people living at the service and only across two floors.

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

People told us they felt safe living at Elmbrook Court. Staff knew how to identify and report any concerns. The provider had struggled to recruit permanent staff and were using regular agency staff. The provider had safe recruitment and selection processes in place which incorporated their values.

Risks to people's safety and well-being were managed through a risk management process. There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs. Medicines were managed safely, and people received their medicines as prescribed.

People and relatives told us staff were caring. Staff did all they could to promote people’s independence and we saw examples of this. People received personalised care, tailored to their individual needs and preferences, and staff supported people and their relatives to be involved with decisions relating to their care. People's privacy and dignity was upheld through the approaches taken by staff as well as in relation to the care environment, as people each had access to their own bedrooms with ensuite bathroom facilities.

People had a pleasant well-presented dining experience which offered a variety of appetising food choices available at times that suite people’s preferences. Staff supported people to maintain food and fluid intakes, including, through the use of snacks, and making people hot drinks during the night to help them relax and maintain their comfort. There were hydration points and bottles of drinks freely available and placed at many accessible areas. People’s feedback on food had been used to improve the dining experience.

People had access to several meaningful activities of their choice and the lifestyle team continued to work with people and their relatives to explore people’s interests and hobbies. The home had established community links which allowed further friendships to be formed and maintained.

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. Staff had a particularly good understanding of when the principles of the Mental Capacity Act should be applied. People were supported to meet their nutritional needs and complimented the food at the home.

There had been changes in management following commissioning of the home and this had affected stability of management. However, the home was now well-led by a registered manager who was committed to improving people’s quality of life. The service had a clear management and staffing structure in place and staff worked well as a team. The service used the learning from people’s feedback, complaints and concerns as an opportunity for improvement. The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place that included the use of technology to monitor the quality and safety of the service. Staff worked well with external social and health care professionals.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 30 April 2021 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

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

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.