Morton Cottage Residential Home

Updated 17 February 2024

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 carried out by an inspector.

Service and service type

Morton Cottage Residential Home 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. Morton Cottage is a care home without 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 inspection

We reviewed information we had received about the service since the last inspection. 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.

During the inspection

We spoke with 5 people who use the service and 2 relatives. We observed the support people received and looked at the condition of the building.

We spoke with 5 staff including the registered manager, senior and care staff and the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider.

We spoke to 2 visiting professionals. We reviewed a range of records including 4 people's care records and multiple medicines records. We looked at 2 staff files for recruitment checks and records relating to the management of the service.

Updated 17 February 2024

About the service

Morton Cottage Residential Home is a care home providing personal care for up to 32 older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 20 people using the service.

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

The provider's systems for checking the quality of the service were not always followed. This meant audits and safety checks had not been carried out so improvements had not been put in place. There were shortfalls relating to the availability and maintenance of some records. These included recruitment and training records.

The premises had not always achieved good infection control measures. The provider was working closely with a local authority Infection Control officer to address the shortfalls.

People and relatives spoke positively about the staff and the home. There was a calm, friendly atmosphere at the home. People said they felt “safe” and “comfortable”.

There were sufficient staff deployed to meet people's needs including their emotional and social needs. Staff spent time with people and assisted them in a patient, unhurried way.

An electronic system was in place to manage medicines and people received these in the right way. There were some minor recording issues relating to medicines management, which the registered manager said would be addressed straight away.

People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain their health. There was an emphasis on individual choices of meals and dining times.

People were assisted to access health and social care services when required. The provider and registered manager worked with other agencies to support better outcomes for people and were open and honest in their dealings with them.

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

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

Rating at last inspection

The last rating for this service was good (published 10 July 2018).

At our last inspection we recommended that home continue to seek the advice of the local authority in order to ensure that people's rights under the Mental Capacity Act are upheld. At this inspection we found the provider had acted on that recommendation.

Why we inspected

We received concerns in relation to the premises and infection control. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led. For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

The overall rating for the service has changed from good to requires improvement based on the findings of this inspection. We have found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements.

You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘All inspection reports and timeline’ link for Morton Cottage Residential Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to risk management and good governance at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Follow up

We will request an action plan from the provider to understand what they will do to improve the standards of quality and safety. We will work alongside the provider and local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.