26 January 2023
During an inspection looking at part of the service
Anson Court is a residential care home providing personal to up to 75 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom are living with dementia, in one purpose-built building. At the time of our inspection there were 70 people using the service.
People’s experience of using this service and what we found
There were robust monitoring processes in place to help ensure a good standard of service. Quality assurance systems identified any areas that needed further development and any remedial actions were implemented. However, the overview of accidents and incidents needed to be more robust to help ensure any themes and trends were identified and if any additional actions were needed.
There had been a high number of falls and incidents in the home. The team were working with external professionals to review people’s needs, review medicines, check equipment, provide staff training and referrals to health professionals. They had seen a reduction In falls and incidents due to this work.
The registered manager was away from the service at the time of the inspection visit, the service was supported by manager from another of the provider’s locations. They worked closely with the care team and the regional manager to help ensure consistent management and a good service for people.
People felt they were safe and well supported by the service. Individual risks were assessed, and staff were aware of these. Reviews of events and accidents were carried out and any actions needed were undertaken. Medicines were managed well, and staff knew how to report any concerns about people’s safety or welfare. People told us there was usually enough staff to meet their needs. Staff communicated well to help ensure needs were met in a timely way.
Infection control was managed well. People were happy that staff no longer needed to wear masks. There was a risk assessment in place should the use of masks be needed.
Staff received appropriate training for their role and people felt they had good knowledge and skills. Staff felt supported by the provider and management team. People told us staff assisted them with eating and drinking as needed and respected their preferences and choices.
People and relatives told us staff were kind and caring, they were happy living at Anson Court. Interactions observed were very positive, staff responded to people in a way that anticipated their needs and demonstrated they knew people well. All observations found staff to be attentive and caring about the people they supported.
People told us they enjoyed the activities available. Observations found people having plenty to do and a positive atmosphere in the home. The building set up enabled people to move around and gave opportunities for socialising. The building was decorated nicely and felt homely.
Staff enjoyed working at Anson Court and wanted to ensure people were happy and well cared for. Care plans included all information needed to support people safely and in accordance with their wishes and preferences. These were reviewed regularly.
People, relatives and staff felt their views about the service could be sought more often. People and staff told us that the registered manager was often around the home and meetings were held but more opportunities for sharing views would be helpful.
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 inspection was not rated (published 2 February 2021). The last rating for this service was good (published 14 April 2018).
Why we inspected
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.
The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service died. This incident is subject to further investigation by CQC as to whether any regulatory action should be taken. As a result, this inspection did not examine the circumstances of the incident. However, the information shared with CQC about the incident indicated potential concerns about the management of risk of people’s safety and incidents. This inspection examined those risks.
We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from this concern. Please see the safe and well led sections of this full report.
You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Anson Court Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.
Recommendations
We recommend that the management team ensure that staffing levels are amended as needed during times when factors may increase incidents between people or when they may become more unsettled causing them to fall. For example, when people may be suffering from an infection.
Follow up
We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.