CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Alexandra Court - Cleveleys
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control arrangements were in place, including safe PPE use, testing, cleaning, admissions and outbreak management.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
What inspectors found, December 2020
Alexandra Court - Cleveleys was inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 25 November 2020. It followed concerns about infection control and prevention measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspectors found good practice in infection control. The home had training, risk assessments, visitor information, increased cleaning, temperature checks, suitable PPE and updated COVID-19 policies.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using PPE safely, following shielding and social distancing rules, managing admissions and testing, and taking steps to prevent or manage outbreaks.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give an overall quality rating or ratings for the other care areas.
Infection control training
Staff had access to detailed infection control training and said it gave them confidence to provide care based on best practice.
“The provider had ensured staff could access comprehensive and informative training in various aspects of infection control.” from the report
Clean environment
The environment was arranged to reduce infection risks and was clean and free from clutter.
“The environment had been arranged to minimise the risk of infection and was clean and clutter free.” from the report
PPE and hand hygiene
The home had handwashing facilities, hand gel and PPE available to support infection control.
“Adequate handwashing facilities, infection control gel and personal protective equipment (PPE) was available to support best practice.” from the report
Keeping people in touch
Staff helped people use tablets and telephones to stay in contact with relatives and other loved ones.
“Staff supported people to use electronic tablets and telephones to maintain contact with loved ones.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visitors currently screened and what arrangements are in place to reduce infection risks?
- 02How do you support residents to take part in testing, and how are decisions recorded if someone cannot decide for themselves?
- 03What infection control training do staff receive now, and how is their competence checked?
- 04How do you manage an infection outbreak, and how would you keep relatives informed?
- 05What recent assessment covers care quality in areas this targeted inspection did not assess?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control measures, so it did not rate the other four questions or provide an overall quality rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 December 2020 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
What inspectors found, November 2018
Alexandra Court - Cleveleys was rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, safe care and Outstanding personalised support.
Inspectors carried out a comprehensive inspection on 9 and 10 August 2018. The first day was unannounced. They spoke with eight people living at the home and seven staff, observed care, checked three care records and reviewed medicines, recruitment, staffing, safety and quality records.
The home was clean and safe. Staff were trained, safely recruited and available in sufficient numbers. Medicines, risks, safeguarding, food, healthcare and infection control were managed well. People said they felt safe and were treated with kindness and respect.
The strongest area was personalised support. People helped make decisions about the home, staff recruitment, menus and furnishings. They were supported with activities, interests, community links and end of life care. The overall rating stayed Good, while Responsive improved from Good to Outstanding.
Personalised choices
People were involved in decisions about their care and about how the home was run. This included choices about menus, furnishings and staff recruitment.
“People who lived at Alexandra Court truly were at the centre of the service.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff treating people as equals, protecting their dignity and supporting their independence. Staff also spent time talking with people, helping create a calm atmosphere.
“We saw staff were, without exception, caring, attentive and treated people who lived at the home as equals, aiming to promote and maintain their independence.” from the report
Activities and interests
People could choose from varied activities and trips. Staff supported individual interests and helped people stay involved in the wider community.
“The service recognised people's interests, talents and skills and provided an environment where they were fostered.” from the report
Support at the end of life
People could remain at the home where possible during end of life care. Relatives could stay with them, with practical support from the home.
“The service supported people's relatives to stay with them at the home during their final days.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do people living here currently take part in decisions about menus, activities, furnishings and staff recruitment?
- 02What activities and community trips are available now, and how are they adapted to each person's interests and abilities?
- 03How many staff are usually on duty during the day and night, including waking watch cover?
- 04How are medicines checked, and has the electronic medicines system continued to reduce the risk of errors?
- 05How would you support my relative and our family if end of life care was needed at the home?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five questions; the overall rating remained Good and the Responsive rating improved to Outstanding. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 November 2018 by an AI system and checked against the report text: every quoted line appears in the report. It is a guide to the report, not a substitute for it. Read the full report on cqc.org.uk.
Every inspection of Alexandra Court - Cleveleys
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- November 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- July 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: Requires improvement
- March 2016GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 December 2010.
Ratings and report dates from the Care Quality Commission, Open Government Licence v3.0. A home can also be visited without a new rating being published, so the timeline shows published inspections.
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85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She understands the needs of an elderly person in the early stages of dementia and has treated my mother with great kindness and skill.”
“Thanks to Tracy, Dad was always immaculately dressed and clean, his meals were all home cooked and nutritionally well balanced and his home was always kept really clean and tidy.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.