Speedwell Court

Updated 6 November 2021

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 Care Act 2014.

As part of this inspection we looked at the infection control and prevention measures in place. We did this to understand how prepared the service was to prevent or manage an infection outbreak, and to identify good practice we can share with other services.

Inspection team

Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience carried out this 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

Speedwell Court is a ‘care home’. People in care homes receive accommodation and nursing or personal care as a single package under one contractual agreement. The Care Quality Commission (CQC) regulates both the premises and the care provided, and both were looked at during this inspection.

The service had a manager registered CQC. 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

We gave a short period notice of the inspection in order to request information from the provider. This helped us plan the inspection and reduce the time spent on site in line with our guidance on reducing risk during the COVID-19 pandemic.

What we did before inspection

We reviewed information we had received about and from the service since it was registered with us. This included notifications of events providers are required to send us.

During the inspection

We spoke with eight people who used the service and eight relatives about their experience of the care provided. We spoke with seven members of staff including the registered manager and deputy manager. We spoke with a healthcare professional who visited the home on the day of our inspection. We used the Short Observational Framework for Inspection (SOFI). SOFI is a way of observing care to help us understand the experience of people who could not talk with us.

We reviewed a range of records. This included seven people’s care records and medication records. We looked at four staff files in relation to recruitment and staff supervision. A variety of records relating to the management of the service, including policies and procedures were reviewed.

After the inspection

We continued to seek clarification from the provider to validate evidence found. We looked at records, case studies and testimonials the registered manager sent us after the inspection. We looked at all the evidence gathered in the light of CQC’s published characteristics of ratings in order to make our judgements.

Updated 6 November 2021

About the service

Speedwell Court is a residential care home providing personal care to 41 people at the time of the inspection. The service can support up to 80 people who may be living with dementia, a physical disability or sensory impairment. The home accommodates people in a single purpose-built building with an enclosed garden. The provider had taken a planned phased approach to achieving full occupancy of the home.

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

People told us they were happy at the home. One person said, “It’s a lovely place, lots to do.” Relatives felt they had made a good choice for their loved ones. One relative said their loved one was “happy, settled and safe”.

The provider went to exceptional lengths to find out what people had done in the past and facilitate activities in the home and outside which supported them to maintain their sense of identity and personality. The provider supported people to maintain skills and share interests with demonstrable benefits for the wider community in the home. People were able safely to develop friendships and relationships with others in the home. People’s care and support met their needs and reflected their preferences. The provider was aware of and followed best practice guidance. There were particularly good facilities for people to take part in activities inside and outside the home which reflected their interests and prevented social isolation.

People were safe and protected from avoidable harm and abuse. The provider supported people to keep themselves and their belongings safe and secure. The provider had processes to manage people’s medicines safely, and had put in a variety of infection control measures in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

People had a service which was effective and led to good outcomes for people. Feedback from people and their relatives about the effectiveness of the service was consistently good. There was particularly good feedback about the living environment, which was modern, designed to a high standard, and adapted to meet people’s needs. 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.

There were caring relationships and interactions between people and staff. Staff had got to know people, their interests and families really well. Staff respected and promoted people’s privacy and dignity, and encouraged people to be as independent as possible.

People’s care was delivered by a service that was consistently well managed and well-led. The leadership and culture promoted high-quality, person-centred care, and a strong team ethos. Staff morale was positive after an exceptional period of stress in the adult social care sector, and there was an up-beat atmosphere in the home.

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

Rating at last inspection

This service was registered with us on 3 June 2019 and this is the first inspection.

Why we inspected

This was a planned inspection in response to risk based on the length of time this new service had not had an 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.

Follow up

We will continue to monitor information we receive about the service until we return to visit as per our re-inspection programme. If we receive any concerning information we may inspect sooner.