Hambleton Court Care Home

Updated 7 February 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

One inspector and an Expert by Experience carried out the inspection. An Expert by Experience is a person who has personal experience of using or caring for someone who uses this type of care service.

Service and service type

Hambleton 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. Hambleton Court Care Home is a care home without 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 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 the registered manager, 2 staff members, 1 relative and 2 people who lived at the service as part of the inspection. We reviewed a range of records. This included 3 peoples care records and multiple medication records. We looked at 2 staff files in relation to recruitment and supervisions and a variety of records relating to the management of the service.

After the inspection

We spoke to 5 relatives, 5 people who lived at the service and 4 staff members. We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at policies and procedures and quality assurance records.

Updated 7 February 2023

About the service

Hambleton Court Care Home is a residential care home providing accommodation and personal care to up to 18 people. The service provides support to older people, some of whom may be living with dementia. At the time of our inspection there were 14 people using the service.

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

Improvements had been made in the services governance systems; however, further work was needed in this area. Audits had failed to pick up the shortfalls found on the inspection. People had not come to any harm; however, we could not be fully assured about the quality systems in the service.

People received care from staff who knew them well. Care records needed expanding to ensure people’s needs and preferences were documented and known to all staff, particularly those who were new or providing agency support.

People received their medicines when needed and staff were suitably trained in this area. However, audits had failed to pick up when best practice guidance was not met. We have made a recommendation in this area.

People were appropriately supported at mealtimes; they told us they enjoyed the food and were given choice. More detailed information was needed to help ensure staffs knowledge of modified diets, we have made a recommendation about this.

The service has been struggling with the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and recruitment had been an issue. Due to this, activities offered to people were limited, and people were not supported to follow their hobbies and interests. The provider was working to address this at the time of the inspection and a new activities coordinator was due to being employment.

Efforts had been made to improve the environment, making this more tailored for people living with dementia. Further improvement plans were in place which focused on outstanding maintenance, decorating bedrooms and increasing access to the garden.

People and their relatives gave positive feedback about the service, they felt safe and well cared for. One person told us, “Yes, I do feel safe. This is because it is nice here, the home is nice and clean, and I feel relaxed.” One relative told us, “I am more than happy with the way things have gone for [relative]. I have recommended the home to a neighbour.”

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 Care Quality Commission (CQC) website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 20 October 2021) and there were breaches of regulation. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve. At this inspection we found the provider had made improvements, however, they remained in breach of regulations.

At our last inspection we recommended that the provider consider best practice guidance on medicines management and review their supervisions and appraisals process. At this inspection we found that improvements had been made and staff supervisions were currently underway. However, more work was needed to ensure the service’s medicines management met best practice guidance. We have made a recommendation about this.

The last rating for this service was requires improvement (published 20 October 2021). The service remains rated requires improvement. This service has been rated requires improvement for the last three consecutive inspections.

Why we inspected

We carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection of this service on 21 August 2019. Breaches of legal requirements were found. The provider completed an action plan after the last inspection to show what they would do and by when to improve safe care and treatment and good governance.

We undertook this focused inspection to check they had followed their action plan and to confirm they now met legal requirements. This report only covers our findings in relation to the Key Questions Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led which contain those requirements.

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 remained requires improvement.

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

Enforcement and Recommendations

We have identified breaches in relation to the standard of records and quality assurance systems at this inspection.

We have made a recommendation in relation to the services management of medicines, their effectiveness in meeting people’s dietary needs and their complaints handling procedures.

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

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.