Connell Court

Updated 25 March 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 10 March 2021 and was announced.

Updated 25 March 2021

About the service

Connell Court is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 37 people aged 65 and over. At the time of the inspection, the service was supporting 33 people across four floors. The ground floor housed the main dining room, accommodation and office space. It also provided access to a large garden.

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

The service was exceptionally good at providing sensitive, responsive end of life care. End of life care plans were personalised, fully detailed and produced with the involvement of the person and their relatives. Relatives were actively encouraged to stay with their loved ones and facilities were provided to assist them. People’s emotional and spiritual needs were understood and supported. Staff were well-trained in the provision of end of life care. The service worked very effectively with healthcare services to ensure people could remain at Connell Court if they wished.

People were consistently encouraged to engage in a wide range of meaningful activities and to maintain important relationships. Activities were developed to reflect people’s needs and preferences and gave people a sense of self-worth. People and their families spoke positively about the service and how they were made to feel welcome. Activities and events were organised to encourage relatives to visit. People’s communication needs were understood, and different approaches were used by staff to promote engagement. Care records were personalised for each individual and contained details about their specific needs and preferences.

Connell Court operated effective systems which kept people safe. People and their relatives commented positively on the safety of the environment and the care provided. Medicines were received, stored, administered and disposed of safely in accordance with best-practice. There were sufficient numbers of staff employed and on duty to meet people's assessed needs.

The service worked effectively with other agencies to ensure people received specialist healthcare support. Staff knew people well and provided care in accordance with their needs and preferences. Staff received a good range of support including regular training. People were supported to eat a varied and nutritious diet based on their individual preferences. The service operated in accordance with the principles of the Mental Capacity Act 2005.

Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respect. Positive and caring relationships had been developed between people and staff. People were encouraged to remain as independent as possible and their rights to privacy and dignity were protected.

The service had a positive learning culture where people were supported to reflect on performance and improve practice. People had good outcomes and their health and wellbeing was prioritised by the service. The registered manager and provider constantly monitored the provision of care and the environment to further improve people’s experience of receiving care. The service worked with internal and external partners to develop practice.

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 17 August 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.