Sutton Court

Updated 28 July 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

The inspection was carried out by an inspector, a specialist advisor (nurse), and an Expert by Experience. 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

Sutton 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. Sutton 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.

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, professionals who work with the service and Healthwatch. Healthwatch is an independent consumer champion that gathers and represents the views of the public about health and social care services in England. 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 of this information to plan our inspection.

During the inspection

During the inspection we spoke with 9 people who used the service and observed how care and support was given generally. We got feedback from 6 relatives and 9 staff. We spoke with the registered manager, deputy manager, HR manager, maintenance manager, quality manager, and the provider's nominated individual. The nominated individual is responsible for supervising the management of the service on behalf of the provider. We looked at a range of records including all or part of 8 people's care records and how medicines were managed for people. We looked at staff training, and the provider's quality auditing system. During the inspection visit we asked the provider to give us additional evidence about how the service was managed, which they sent to us. We also received feedback from 3 health and social care professionals.

Updated 28 July 2023

About the service

Sutton Court is a purpose-built residential care home providing accommodation for persons who require nursing or personal care for up to 63 people. Nursing care is not provided at Sutton Court. At the time of our inspection there were 47 people using the service. The service provides support to older people, people with dementia, people with a sensory impairment or physical disability, and younger adults. Some people lived at the service permanently, and some people are short-term residents who stay there for rehabilitation. These short-term placements are part of an arrangement with the local NHS Trust designed to improve people’s mobility and independence so they can return home.

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

The service was exceptionally person-centred and responsive to people's individual needs. People’s individual and diverse needs were recognised throughout the assessment and care planning process. The staff team were very focussed on delivering person-centred care and were responsive to people’s changing needs. People were strongly encouraged to continue with their favourite activities and hobbies and supported to develop new ones if this was what they wanted. Care plans were personalised and people were involved in developing and reviewing their care with staff.

People were encouraged to do as much as they could themselves and to participate in the daily life of the home as much as they wanted to. People enjoyed the variety of in-house activities and trips out that were regularly available. People and relatives knew how to complain and felt confident any issues would be addressed. People were supported well at the end of life by staff who were trained to meet their needs.

People were safe and protected from the risk of abuse. People’s needs were assessed, and any risks associated with their personal care and environment documented. There were enough staff to keep people safe. Medicines were managed safely. The service was clean and risks from acquired health infections were minimised.

People's needs and choices were assessed in line with current legislation and guidance. Staff had training the provider deemed essential to meet people’s needs. People were supported to have a varied good quality diet. The environment was suitable for people's needs, and there were adaptations for people with mobility needs. People were supported by staff to access healthcare services when required. 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.

People and relatives spoke positively about the staff team and said they were cared for with kindness, respect, and dignity. People were supported to express their views about their personal care and daily lives and make their own decisions as far as possible. Staff respected people's right to confidentiality.

Sutton Court was well-led and had a positive, caring culture. Staff understood their roles and responsibilities and felt well supported to provide personal care. The provider did regular checks and audits to ensure the quality of care was consistently good. Regular feedback was sought from people, relatives, and staff about the quality of the service and used to develop the quality of care further. Feedback from health and social care professionals was positive regarding the quality of care and commitment to partnership working to achieve good outcomes for people.

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 5 June 2019).

Why we inspected

The inspection was prompted in part by notification of an incident following which a person using the service sustained a serious injury. This incident was 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 falls, infection prevention and control, and pressure care management. This inspection examined those risks. This inspection was also prompted by a review of the information we held about this service.

We found no evidence during this inspection that people were at risk of harm from these concerns. Please see the Safe section of this full report.

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.

Follow up

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