Island Court Care Home

Updated 8 December 2022

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.

Inspection team

Two inspectors carried out this inspection.

Service and service type

Island Court Care Home is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing and/or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement dependent on their registration with us. Island Court Care 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 service is required to have a registered manager. A registered manager is a person who has registered with the Care Quality Commission to manage the service. This means that they and the provider are legally responsible for how the service is run and for the quality and safety of the care provided.

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 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 to seven people and seven relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with six professionals who have contact with the service. We spoke with 10 members of staff including a director for the provider, Registered Manager, Clinical lead, and seven members of staff. We reviewed a range of records. This included five people’s care plans, medicine administration records (MAR) and three staff recruitment files. We viewed a variety of records relating to the management of the service including audit systems.

Updated 8 December 2022

About the service

Island Court Care Home is a care home which provides personal care with nursing for up to 55 people, including people with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 54 people using the service.

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

People were not always protected from the risk of harm; we found systems were not effective in reducing risks to people from falls, the spread of infection or choking. Systems in place to safeguard people from abuse were not robust and processes for learning lessons were not effective in driving improvements.

Quality assurance systems were not always effective for people. This meant the action taken by the provider had not always ensured people received consistent, caring and safe support. People did not always experience a positive and empowering culture at Island Court Care Home.

People were not always treated in a compassionate, respectful way. Some people experienced inconsistencies in the caring nature of staff members. People were supported to practice their religion and the service considered people's cultural needs and wishes. People were supported to express their views and be involved in their care, although people didn't always feel this was effective.

People and staff didn't always feel there were enough staff, although the service monitored people's needs to assess the number of staff needed. People received their medicines safely. 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; however, the policies and systems in the service did not always support this practice. People's capacity was not always assessed and their best interests considered when it would be appropriate to do so.

People were not always supported by staff who had up to date training; this was exacerbated by several new staff members who were in the process of completing their induction. People's needs and choices were assessed and the service ensured people's dietary needs were well met. People were also supported to access healthcare and external support as needed.

People spent long periods of time without engagement. However, there was an activities coordinator and plans in place to increase support with activities. People were supported to be part of the local community. People's communication needs were considered and catered for. Systems were in place to seek feedback and resolve people's complaints.

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 requires improvement (published 19 November 2021).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part due to concerns received about the management of safeguarding incidents and the quality of internal investigations in accidents or incidents. A decision was made for use to inspect and examine those risks.

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.

We found evidence that the provider needs to make improvements. You can see what action we have asked the provider to take at the end of this full report.

You can read the report from our last comprehensive inspection, by selecting the ‘all reports’ link for Island Court Care Home on our website at www.cqc.org.uk.

Enforcement

We have identified breaches in relation to how people’s safety was managed, how people were safeguarded from abuse, their rights promoted, people being treated with dignity and respect and how the service was run at this inspection.

Please see the action we have told the provider to take at the end of this report.

Full information about CQC’s regulatory response to the more serious concerns found during inspections is added to reports after any representations and appeals have been concluded.

Follow up

We will meet with the provider following this report being published to discuss how they will make changes to ensure they improve their rating to at least good. We will work with the local authority to monitor progress. We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.