Cedar Court Nursing Home

Updated 11 March 2023

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

This inspection was carried out by 2 inspectors.

Service and service type

Cedar Court Nursing Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation, nursing and personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Cedar Court Nursing 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 provider is required to have a registered manager to oversee the delivery of regulated activities at this location. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. Registered managers and providers are legally responsible for how the service is run, for the quality and safety of the care provided and compliance with regulations.

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 and professionals including the fire service 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

We spoke with 3 people who used the service and 2 relatives (by telephone). We received feedback from the local authority, the fire service, the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Integrated Care System (ICS) about the service. We spoke with 5 members of staff including the registered manager who is also the nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We also spoke with the homes co-ordinator, a nurse, and 2 senior care staff.

We reviewed a range of records, this included 3 people's care records. We looked at medicines’ records and 9 staff files in relation to recruitment. A variety of records relating to the management of the service were also reviewed, including incident and accident records, utilities safety checks, quality assurance processes and policies.

Updated 11 March 2023

About the service

Cedar Court Nursing Home is a care home providing personal and nursing care to 25 people aged 65 and over at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 25 people in 1 adapted building. The service provides support to older people, people with dementia and people with an eating disorder.

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

New staff to the service had a series of checks carried out on them during their recruitment to try to ensure they were suitable to be working at the service. Enough skilled and suitable staff had been safely recruited. Staff had received the required training, competency checks, supervisions and appraisals. Ongoing support was given to help staff maintain and improve their skills to fulfil their role and responsibilities.

Staff used their training and knowledge to safeguard people wherever possible and support people to keep them safe. If staff had any concerns about people, they knew where to report this both inside and outside of the service. People received their medicines as prescribed and staff ensured they followed infection prevention guidance and good practice. Staff encouraged people to eat healthily and drink enough. They supported people’s individual dietary requirements and choices. Staff listened to and respected people’s choices. Communication was good.

Staff knew people’s individual needs, wishes and preferences well. They also knew people’s assessed risks and these risks were monitored by staff. Staff were responsive to people’s changing care and support needs. Care plans were reviewed and updated when changes occurred.

The building had been adapted to meet people’s needs. The building was also undergoing refurbishment and a lot of this work had been completed. People’s rooms were personalised and signage to help people orientate themselves around the building was in place.

The governance systems in place monitored the service provided and was effective in identifying and driving improvements. The registered manager and the staff team took on board learning when incidents happened. The registered manager and staff team worked well with other organisations, health and social care professionals to provide people with joined up care. The registered manager was aware of all the incidents they were legally obliged to notify the CQC of.

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.

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 09 February 2018).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received that included concerns about staffing levels, staff recruitment, staff training, incident reporting and governance, lack of choice around food, personal care concerns around a lack of hot water and maintenance and lack of bedding/ towels. A decision was made for us to inspect and examine those risks. As a result, we undertook a focused inspection to review the key questions of safe, effective and well-led only.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the safe, effective and well-led 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.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Cedar Court Nursing 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.