Cordelia 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

Safe – this means we looked for evidence that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. At our last assessment we rated this key question inadequate. At this assessment the rating has changed to good. This meant people were safe and protected from avoidable harm. The service was previously in breach of legal regulation in relation to people’s safe care and treatment. Improvements were found at this assessment and the provider was no longer in breach of this regulation.

This service scored 72 (out of 100) for this area. Find out what we look at when we assess this area and How we calculate these scores.

The provider had a proactive and positive culture of safety, based on openness and honesty. Staff listened to concerns about safety and investigated and reported safety events. Lessons were learnt to continually identify and embed good practice. Improvements had been made to improve the safety and managerial oversight of the service following our last inspection which demonstrated lessons had been learnt. For example, effective systems were now in place to monitor and manage any accidents and incidents. These were reviewed by the registered manager to identify any trends or patterns so actions could be taken to mitigate emerging risks. People and relatives spoken with were happy with the service provided.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to establish and maintain safe systems of care, in which safety was managed or monitored. They made sure there was continuity of care, including when people moved between different services. Staff knew people well and worked in partnership with health and social care professionals such as GP’s, community nurses and social workers to support people’s health and wellbeing. Feedback shared from professionals was positive. They told us they had a good working relationship with the management team and confirmed their advice was followed to ensure people’s health needs were monitored closely.

The provider worked with people and healthcare partners to understand what being safe meant to them and the best way to achieve that. Staff concentrated on improving people’s lives while protecting their right to live in safety, free from bullying, harassment, abuse, discrimination, avoidable harm and neglect. The provider shared concerns quickly and appropriately. Improvements were found at this assessment regarding the effectiveness of the provider’s systems and processes to keep people safe from abuse. The registered manager had made appropriate alerts to the Local Authority (LA) and Care Quality Commission (CQC). Staff understood their responsibilities to keep people safe. One staff member said, “Keeping people safe is our top priority. In training you learn what to look for, like a change in behaviour and we are responsible for telling the manager, if we had any concerns."

The provider worked with people to understand and manage risks by thinking holistically. Staff provided care to meet people’s needs that was safe, supportive and enabled people to do the things that mattered to them. At our last inspection the provider had failed to identify and safely manage risks associated with people’s care needs. Improvements were found at this assessment and the service was no longer in breach of this regulation. Risk assessments were in place to guide staff on how to support people safely, to mitigate risks associated with for example, falls, choking or skin breakdown and were regularly reviewed alongside the multidisciplinary team (MDT). Staff spoken with understood the risks associated with people’s care. For example, staff knew a person no longer required a modified diet or a prescribed thickening agent to be added to their drinks following a review by the Speech and Language therapist (SALT). Handover records reviewed confirmed this.

The provider identified and controlled potential risks in the care environment. They made sure equipment, facilities and technology supported the delivery of safe care. At our last inspection the provider had failed to identify and safely manage environmental risks at the service. Improvements were found at this assessment and the service was no longer in breach of this regulation. Fire safety had improved, and the provider had replaced the flooring and windows to address the issues highlighted at our last inspection. However, we identified some potential risks on our arrival, for example, 1 fire door was not closing properly and the hairdressing salon was unlocked, which contained hazardous hair products. The registered manager took action to address these shortfalls during the assessment. Regular maintenance checks are completed on the equipment in use at the service to ensure it is safe and in good working order. Where actions had been identified, these were actioned promptly.

The provider made sure there were enough qualified, skilled and experienced staff, who received effective support, supervision and development. They worked together well to provide safe care that met people’s individual needs. People felt safe with staff, who had been recruited safely in line with the providers policy and best practice guidance. Rotas demonstrated staffing levels were maintained and people were being supported by a consistent staff team. During our visit we observed staff engaging with people in a friendly and caring manner. Staff were available when people needed them and people's requests for assistance were responded to promptly.

The provider assessed and managed the risk of infection. They detected and controlled the risk of, for example viruses spreading and shared concerns with appropriate agencies promptly. At our last inspection concerns were highlighted in relation to the cleanliness of the service and poor practice observed. Improvements were found at this assessment; the provider had worked hard to address these concerns and had recently received the Gold Standard for Infection Prevention and Control awarded by the Integrated Commissioning Board (ICB). Staff had completed infection control training and demonstrated an understanding of how to reduce the risks of infection. One staff member said, “You must wear personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect the residents and yourself. It’s important to put the PPE in the clinical waste to reduce the risk of an infection spreading."

The provider made sure that medicines and treatments were safe and met people’s needs, capacities and preferences. Staff involved people in planning, including when changes happened. At our last inspection medicines were not always managed safely. At this assessment the provider’s systems and processes to monitor medicines management had improved and the service was no longer in breach of this regulation. Staff received medicines training and were assessed as competent before supporting people with their medicines. Staff spoken with demonstrated a good knowledge of people’s prescribed medicines and understood the importance of working closely with health care professionals to support people’s health and wellbeing.