Strode Park House

Updated 13 September 2023

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 was completed by 2 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

Strode Park House 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. Strode Park House is a care home with nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Registered Manager

This provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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 last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority. The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

We spoke with 6 people who lived at the service and 8 relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with 11 staff including the registered manager, deputy manager, nominated individual, agency nurse, support staff, lead therapist, activities organiser, human resources manager and training manager. We spoke with a GP and dental team who were visiting the service during the inspection. We spent time observing interactions between staff and people in communal areas. We reviewed a range of records including 6 people’s care records including medicines records. We looked at 2 staff recruitment records and a variety of records relating to the management of the service including meeting minutes and audits. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

Updated 13 September 2023

About the service

Strode Park House is a residential care home providing personal and nursing care for up to 55 people. The service provides support to people with a physical disability, people also required support with complex health conditions. At the time of our inspection there were 41 people using the service.

Strode Park House is a large, adapted building with extensive grounds. People all lived on the ground floor over 4 wings. Each person had their own bedroom and there were communal spaces such as bathrooms, dining rooms and lounges.

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

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people. We considered this guidance as there were people using the service who have a learning disability and or who are autistic.

People, relatives, and staff told us the service had improved since the last inspection. Staffing levels had improved, people were now supported to go out regularly, and take part in activities they enjoyed. The culture within the service had improved, staff understood their responsibilities to support people in the way they preferred.

There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and when shortfalls were identified action was taken to reduce the risks of them happening again. Medicine management had improved, however, some improvements had not been consistently maintained across all the medicine records, improvements were required in the recording of medicines available. Risks to people’s health and welfare had been assessed, some guidelines required more detail, however, staff were supporting people following best practice guidance.

Environmental risks had been assessed, equipment had been checked and maintained to keep people safe. Improvements continued to be made to the decoration of the communal rooms and corridors.

Staff had been recruited safely and received an induction and the training they needed to meet people’s needs. People and relatives told us they knew how to complain and were confident their concerns would be addressed. Staff told us they felt supported by the registered manager and part of a team.

People told us staff were kind, caring and treated them with respect. People were supported to be as independent as possible and involved in monitoring their health. People were referred to health care professionals when their needs changed.

People, staff, and relatives were given the opportunity to attend regular meetings. The provider and registered manager had been open and transparent about the need for changes within the service and how these were going to be achieved.

Right Support:

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.

Right Care:

People received person centred care, their privacy and dignity were always promoted.

Right Culture:

Staff and the registered manager had taken part in culture workshops to develop a culture commitment, which was shared with people and relatives. The culture commitment had been integrated into the interview process, to ensure new staff shared the same ethos and commitment.

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 requires improvement (published 29 June 2023) and there were breaches of regulations. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found improvements had been made and the provider was no longer in breach of regulations.

This service has been in Special Measures since 11 January 2023. During this inspection the provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions. Therefore, this service is no longer in Special Measures.

Why we inspected

This inspection was carried out to follow up on action we told the provider to take at the last inspection. We undertook this comprehensive inspection to check whether the Warning Notices we previously served in relation to Regulation 12 and Regulation 17 of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014 had been met.

We looked at infection prevention and control measures under the Safe key question. We look at this in all care home inspections even if no concerns or risks have been identified. This is to provide assurance that the service can respond to COVID-19 and other infection outbreaks effectively.

The overall rating for the service has changed from requires improvement to good based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

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