Fairford Court

Updated 29 March 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.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements. 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 inspected the service.

Service and service type

Fairford Court 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. Fairford Court is a care home without nursing care. CQC regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager, who was in the process of registering with the Care Quality Commission. 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.

Notice of inspection

This inspection was unannounced.

What we did before the inspection

The provider was not asked to complete a Provider Information Return (PIR) prior to this inspection. A PIR is information providers send us to give some key information about the service, what the service does well and improvements they plan to make. We looked at notifications to CQC and sought feedback from the local authority and professionals who work with the service. We had also been in close communication with the service in the last 12 months. We used all this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

As part of the inspection we spoke with one person living at the service, three support staff and the current manager of the service. We also met with the manager of another local service who provided interim support and was continuing to support the new manager in their role.

We looked at three medicine administration records, supervision records, staff meeting minutes, quality audits and infection control processes at the service. We looked at three care records, including risk assessments and two staff recruitment files.

After the inspection

Following the visit, we asked for additional information regarding medicines management, the service action plan and auditing processes. We reviewed complaints, accident and incident records and received an updated action plan.

Three professionals who work with the service and one relative of people who lived at the service responded to our request for feedback on the service.

Updated 29 March 2022

Fairford Court is registered to provide accommodation and care for eight autistic people in a residential care home. At the time of our inspection there were four people using the service.

The care home is purpose built and is located in grounds alongside a ‘sister’ care service and a supported living service run by the same provider.

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

We had some concerns with the management of the service. There had been management changes at service level in the last 12 months, and whilst an interim manager had provided good leadership, we found the new manager had yet to establish and embed systems effectively.

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. Staff recruitment was safe, and there was enough staff to meet people's needs.

Management of medicines was safe. We made some minor suggestions regarding the use and disposal of PPE.

We expect health and social care providers to guarantee autistic people and people with a learning disability the choices, dignity, independence and good access to local communities that most people take for granted. Right support, right care, right culture is the statutory guidance which supports CQC to make assessments and judgements about services providing support to people with a learning disability and/or autistic people.

This inspection focused on the key domains of Safe, Effective and Well-led. Based on the limitations of this inspection, the service was able to demonstrate how they were meeting the underpinning principles of Right support, right care, right culture.

We saw that care plans were person centred, and we were told that the staff were kind and treated people with respect. Risk assessments promoted independence whilst giving staff guidance in how to minimise harm to people. Staff supported people with daily living tasks in the way people chose.

Right support: Model of care and setting maximises people’s choice, control and Independence; Right care: Care is person-centred and promotes people’s dignity, privacy and human rights; Right culture: Ethos, values, attitudes and behaviours of leaders and care staff ensure people using services lead confident, inclusive and empowered lives

For more details, please see the full report which is on the CQC website at www.cqc.org.uk

Rating at last inspection and update

The last rating for this service was good (published 24 November 2017).

Why we inspected

This inspection was initially intended as an Infection Prevention and Control inspection. 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. This included checking the provider was meeting COVID-19 vaccination requirements.

We inspected and found there was a concern with the management of the service, so we widened the scope of the inspection to become a focused inspection which included the key questions of safe, effective and well-led.

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 the same, good, based on the findings of this inspection.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service, which will help inform when we next inspect.