Chestnut Court Care Home

Updated 11 June 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 was carried out by an inspector 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

Chestnut Court Care 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. Chestnut Court Care Home 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 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 last inspection. We sought feedback from the local authority 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

During the inspection we spoke with four people who used the service and five relatives. We spoke with 19 staff, including the registered manager, deputy manager, eight care assistants, three nurses, the maintenance person, the housekeeper, a senior carer, a unit manager, a member of the provider’s quality executive team and the regional director. We observed how staff interacted with people. We looked at a number of care and medicines records for people and staff recruitment files. We examined records related to the running of the service, including policies and procedures.

Updated 11 June 2022

About the service

Chestnut Court Care Home is a residential care home providing the regulated activities personal and nursing care and treatment of disease, disorder or injury to up to 62 people. The service provides support to older people and people living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 60 people using the service.

The care home is purpose built over three floors, with care being provided on all floors.

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

Systems were in place to help protect people from the risk of abuse. There were enough staff working at the service and the provider had robust staff recruitment practices in place. Accidents and incidents were reviewed and analysed to help reduce the risk of further such occurrences. Steps had been taken to ensure the premises were safe. Infection prevention and control measures were in place. Medicines were managed safely. People’s risks had been assessed to help ensure they were supported in a safe way. People had access to health care services as needed.

People and staff told us there was an open and positive culture at the service. People were supported to express their views. Quality assurance and monitoring systems were in place to help drive improvements at the service. The provider was aware of their legal obligations, and worked with other agencies to develop best practice and share knowledge.

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.

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 18 October 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about people not being referred to relevant health agencies in a timely manner. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and effective sections of this full report.

For those key questions not inspected, we used the ratings awarded at the last inspection to calculate the overall rating.

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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Chestnut Court Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Follow up

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