Redesdale Court

On this page

• Overview
• Learning culture
• Safe systems, pathways and transitions
• Safeguarding
• Involving people to manage risks
• Safe environments
• Safe and effective staffing
• Infection prevention and control
• Medicines optimisation

There was a learning culture at the home; accidents and incidents were monitored at location and provider level so any lessons learned could be shared across all services. There had been a reduction in the number of falls. The registered manager had been working with one of the provider’s specialist nurses on falls management and reduction. 4 of the 13 people and relatives we spoke with told us that some people who were living with dementia, came into people’s rooms or displayed distressed behaviours which upset people. Management staff explained they were keeping people’s individual needs under review in each of the ‘communities’ to ensure people were supported in the most appropriate ‘community.’ Other people and relatives said that people were safe. There was a system in place to assess, monitor and manage risk. People were cared for in a clean and well-maintained home. The design and décor met people’s needs. There was a system in place to ensure staff were skilled, trained and supported. Sufficient staff were deployed at the time of our assessment to meet people’s needs. Medicines were managed safely.

This service scored 75 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

There was a learning culture at the home; accidents and incidents were monitored at location and provider level so any lessons learned could be shared across all services. There had been a reduction in the number of falls. The registered manager had been working with one of the provider’s specialist nurses on falls management and reduction.

There was a preadmission procedure in place to make sure people’s needs could be met at the home. We heard how one person’s health and wellbeing had improved since being at the home and they were moving out to live more independently. Health and social care professionals told us they were involved in people’s care where required.

Staff did not raise any concerns about staff practices at the home. They explained they felt confident that any safeguarding concerns they raised would be dealt with appropriately and referred to the necessary authorities. 4 of the 13 people and relatives we spoke with told us that some people who were living with dementia, came into people’s rooms or displayed distressed behaviours which upset people. Management staff explained they were keeping people’s individual needs under review in each of the ‘communities’ to ensure people were supported in the most appropriate ‘community.’ Other people and relatives said that people were safe. The Mental Capacity Act 2005 (MCA) provides a legal framework for making particular decisions on behalf of people who may lack the mental capacity to do so for themselves. The MCA requires that, as far as possible, people make their own decisions and are helped to do so when needed. When they lack mental capacity to take particular decisions, any made on their behalf must be in their best interests and as least restrictive as possible. People can only be deprived of their liberty to receive care and treatment when this is in their best interests and legally authorised under the MCA. In care homes, and some hospitals, this is usually through MCA application procedures called the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards (DoLS). We checked whether the service was working within the principles of the MCA, whether appropriate legal authorisations were in place when needed to deprive a person of their liberty, and whether any conditions relating to those authorisations were being met. Appropriate legal authorisations were in place to deprive a person of their liberty.

There was a system in place to assess, monitor and manage risks. Families were aware of the risks to people such as weight loss and falls and the action which was being taken to reduce these risks. Staff knew how to support people to minimise individual risks. We observed safe moving and handling procedures. However, we received concerns in relation to one person’s care regarding moving and handling procedures which we passed to the registered manager to review.

People were cared for in a clean and well-maintained home. The design and décor met people’s needs. There were quiet seating areas, communal lounges, a hairdressing room and kitchenettes where people and visitors could make themselves a drink. A memorial garden had recently opened. People had participated in the creation of this garden by choosing and planting flowers. People and relatives had the opportunity to place a stone with a message if they wished to remember a loved one. Most people and relatives spoke positively about the environment.

There was a system in place to ensure staff were skilled, trained and supported. People told us that staff had received sufficient training to meet their needs. Staff told us they felt supported and were given the opportunity to develop their skills. From 1 July 2022, all health and social care providers registered with CQC must ensure that their staff receive training in how to interact appropriately with people who have a learning disability and autistic people, at a level appropriate to their role. There had been a delay in completing this training; however, this was addressed by the end of our assessment. There were sufficient staff deployed at the time of our assessment to meet people’s needs. Management staff explained the home was fully staffed and agency staff had not been used for many months. This meant people were supported by staff who knew them well. Several people and relatives told us more staff would be appreciated, especially at the weekend. Management staff told us that staffing levels were the same at the weekend as they were through the week. We observed staff supporting people in a calm unhurried manner throughout our site visits. Recruitment checks were carried out before staff started work; to help ensure they were suitable to work with vulnerable people.

An effective infection control system was in place. The home and equipment were clean. Staff were aware of the risks relating to cross infection and minimised these by following safe infection control procedures and using PPE effectively. People and relatives generally spoke positively about the cleanliness of the environment.

Medicines were managed safely. People told us that staff supported them with their medicines. We received feedback that one person’s medicines had been found on the floor on several occasions. We passed this information to the registered manager to review and address. Management staff told us that the provider’s medicines policy had been updated to emphasise the importance of supporting people to self-administer their medicines if they were able and wanted to do so.