Archived: Delves Court Care Home

Updated 27 February 2018

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, to look at the overall quality of the service, and to provide a rating for the service under the Care Act 2014.

Inspection site visit activity started on 6 February 2018 and ended on 7 February 2018. The membership of the inspection team consisted of one inspector.

As part of the inspection we reviewed information we held about the service including statutory notifications that had been submitted. Statutory notifications include information about important events which the provider is required to send us by law.

We sought information about the service from the local authority and Healthwatch. The local authority has responsibility for funding people who used the service and monitoring its quality. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion, which promotes the views and experiences of people who use health and social care.

We used information the provider sent us in the Provider Information Return. This is information we require providers to send us at least once annually to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make.

We looked at how staff supported people throughout the time we were at the home. As part of our observations we used the Short Observational Framework for Inspections (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing people who may not always be able to voice their opinions of the quality of service provided.

The registered manager was present throughout the inspection. During the inspection we also spoke with eight people who lived at the home and three relatives, three care staff, the Clinical Lead, the Area manager, two registered nurses, the unit manager, the activities coordinator and the cook. We also spoke with a visiting Health Professional who was visiting the home on the first day of the inspection. We reviewed two care records, the provider’s quality audits, accident and incident records, the provider’s complaints and compliments records and three staff recruitment files.

Updated 27 February 2018

Delves Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as single package under one contractual agreement. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

Delves Court Care Home accommodates 64 older people across three separate units. At the time of our inspection there were 40 people living at the home.

There was a registered manager in post at the time of our inspection. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Like registered providers, they are ‘registered persons’. Registered persons have legal responsibility for meeting the requirements in the Health and Social Care Act 2008 and associated Regulations about how the service is run.

People continued to receive care in ways which helped them to remain as safe as possible. Staff understood risks to people’s safety and supported people receive their prescribed medicines safely. Staff understood the need for good infection control to keep people safe from cross contamination. All staff had been subject to employment background checks before being able to work in the home. There was enough staff to provide support to people to meet their needs.

Staff received training which matched the needs of people who lived at the home, so they would develop the skills and knowledge to care for them. People made day to day decisions about their care and staff used their skills to make sure people were agreeing to the care offered to them. People were supported by staff if they needed help making key decisions about their life. People were cared for so they had enough to eat and drink and their food preferences were met. Staff supported people to see health professionals so they would remain well.

People liked and enjoyed spending time with the staff that cared for them and were treated with dignity and respect. Staff spoke warmly about the people they cared for and encouraged them to make their own day to day decisions and maintain their independence. People were treated with respect and dignity.

People's care was planned in ways which reflected their preferences and wishes. Relatives’ and health and social care professionals’ views and suggestions were taken into account when people’s care was planned. People, relatives and staff were confident if any complaints were made these would be addressed. Systems were in place to manage complaints.

People were encouraged to stay active. The provider had a comprehensive activities and entertainment programme for people to join in and enjoy.

People, their relatives and staff were encouraged to make suggestions to develop the care they received further through open communication with the senior management team.

People knew and liked the registered manager. Staff spoke positively about working at the home and understood their role within the team. Staff felt able to seek help and guidance as well as contribute ideas to care planning. Regular reviews of people’s care ensured people’s care planning was timely and up to date. The registered manager reviewed and updated people’s care regularly and sought advice and guidance to improve the care people received.