26 June 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Huntingdon Court is a care home providing accommodation and personal care for up to 43 people aged 65 and over who may also be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection 30 people were using the service. Accommodation is provided over the ground and first floor with communal lounges and dining areas being located on both floors.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
Potential risks related to people’s care, health and welfare were assessed and kept under review. People’s records included clear guidance for staff, as to how people’s needs were to be met to promote their health, welfare and safety. There were sufficient staff to meet people’s needs. Staff had undergone a robust recruitment process and had the necessary skills and experience.
People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrict way possible and in their best interests. However, one person’s record did not include a best interest decision for a specific aspect of their medicine management. People’s medicines were managed safely, supported by clear guidance and protocols.
Lessons were learnt and improvements made through the analysis and reporting of accidents and incidents. Systems and processes for the reporting of safeguarding concerns, were in place and were understood by staff. There were safe infection and preventions measures in place.
People’s needs were recorded in personalised care plans, considering all aspects of their care, which included information as to people’s wishes regarding end of life care, and clinical decisions should their health deteriorate.
Opportunities were available for people to take part in group or individual activities. We saw people laughing and speaking with each other and joining in with the activities. Relatives spoke of the positive impact on their family member of spending time with others. People expressed confidence in raising concerns, and complaints were investigated as per the provider’s policy.
The appointment of a registered manager, supported by a wider management team had brought about improvements to the quality and safety of the service people received. Quality monitoring through internal audits and oversight had improved. Plans were put into place where improvements were needed and were monitored for progress.
People spoke positively about the care they received, which included the kind and caring approach of staff. Staff spoke positively of the inclusivity of approach adopted by the registered manager, which enabled them to have a good understanding of the improvements required and why, along with receiving praise for the changes successfully implemented.
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 inadequate (published 15 August 2022).
At the last inspection we found improvements were needed to keep people safe. This included improvements to how risk was assessed and monitored, the provision of sufficient staff to meet people’s needs and improved reporting of abuse to relevant agencies. In addition, the previous inspection identified a lack of consistent and effective leadership had negatively impacted on the assessment and monitoring of the service to improve quality and safety.
The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve.
As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, responsive and well-led only.
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 16 October 2022. 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
We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements.
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.
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 inadequate to good based on the findings of this inspection.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the 'all reports' link for Huntingdon Court 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.