Archived: Popham Court

Updated 5 September 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.

This inspection took place on 7 and 8 August 2018 and was unannounced. It was carried out by two adult social care inspectors 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.

Before the inspection the provider completed a Provider Information Return (PIR). This is a form that asks the provider to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at the information in the PIR and also looked at other information we held about the service before the inspection visit.

During the inspection we spoke with 33 people who lived at the home, six visitors,13 members of staff and one visiting healthcare professional. The registered manager and operations manager were available throughout the inspection.

Some people at the home were unable to fully express their views due to their physical or mental frailty. We therefore spent time observing care practices and interactions in communal areas. We observed lunch being served in all areas of the home.

We looked at a selection of records, which related to individual care and the running of the home. These included seven care and support plans, three staff files, records of complaints, minutes of staff and service user meetings, medication records and quality monitoring records.

Updated 5 September 2018

This inspection was carried out on 7 and 8 August 2018 and was unannounced.

Popham Court is a ‘care home’ for up to 74 people. The home is made up of two buildings. Popham House provides accommodation and nursing care and The Court provides care to people who do not require nursing care. The home specialises in the care of older people.

At the time of the inspection there were 61 people living at the home. 29 people were living at Popham House and 32 people at The Court.

There was a registered manager in post. 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.

The registered manager and deputy manager had been in post for approximately six months. In this time they had carried out audits and reintroduced systems to make improvements to the quality of care and seek people’s views.

Further improvements were needed to make sure senior staff were clear about their roles and were effectively monitoring the day to day management of people’s care. At this inspection we found there were a lack of routine checks in place to make sure people received good quality care and support.

People had care plans which were personal to them but did not always give clear information about their up to date needs and wishes. This placed people at risk of receiving inappropriate care for their current needs.

People did not have regular access to activities and social stimulation to promote their well-being. At the time of the inspection there were no activity workers at the home and other staff had not ensured people were able to continue to take part in social activities.

People who were able to express their views told us staff respected their personal routines and lifestyle choices. People said they would be comfortable to make a complaint. One person told us, “The staff are very easy to talk to. I could say if I wasn’t happy.”

People told us they were happy with the care they received. One person told us, “I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else.” One visitor said “It’s extremely good here. It has a nice calm atmosphere and the staff seem very calm and caring.”

People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible; the policies and systems in the service supported this practice. Staff worked in accordance with up to date guidance to make sure people’s legal rights were protected.

The staff ensured people had access to healthcare professionals according to their individual needs. One person told us, “They get the doctor or a nurse to see you if you need it.”

People received their medicines safely from staff who had been trained to carry out this task. Staff carried out risk assessments with people who wanted to self-administer their medicines and maintain their independence.

People told us they felt safe at the home and with the staff who supported them. People said staff were kind and caring and respected their privacy and dignity.

People were confident that staff had the skills needed to care for them. One person told us, “I definitely trust them [staff.] They are very good at their jobs.” Another person commented, “I feel very well looked after here. I couldn’t wish for better attention, they seem very on the ball.”

We found one breach of the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2014. You can see what action we told the provider to take at the back of the full version of this report.

Further information is in the detailed findings below