CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Elizabeth Court Rest Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks such as falls were assessed and managed, medicines were handled safely, and there were enough staff. Recruitment checks were also completed.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in. Staff received training and supervision, people had suitable food and drink choices, and health professionals were involved when needed.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, privacy and dignity. Staff encouraged independence and involved people in decisions about their daily lives and care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's preferences and were reviewed regularly. The home offered a wide range of activities and had systems for responding to concerns and complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found an open, inclusive culture and effective quality checks. The provider and manager sought feedback and worked with staff, relatives and other professionals.
What inspectors found, April 2020
Elizabeth Court Rest Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some records and building improvements still being completed.
This was a planned inspection on 3 and 4 March 2020. One inspector spoke with people living there, relatives, staff and visiting professionals. They observed care and reviewed care plans, medicines records, staff files, rotas and quality checks.
The overall rating was Good, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe and comfortable. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practice, suitable risk assessments, kind care and good support for people's choices and independence.
People were offered a choice of meals, activities and where to spend their time. Staff worked with health professionals and knew people's needs well. The home was updating its electronic care records, and a programme of redecoration had started because some areas were tired.
People felt safe
People and relatives said they felt safe. Inspectors found that risks were assessed, incidents were reviewed and staff knew how to report safeguarding concerns.
“People told us they felt safe and were very comfortable at Elizabeth Court.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff supported people in a warm and respectful way. Inspectors saw people being helped with daily activities while their dignity and independence were maintained.
“We saw staff supporting people when they were not sure where they were.” from the report
Personal choice and activities
People could choose where to eat, how to spend their time and whether to join activities. The programme included group and one-to-one activities.
“The activity co-ordinator organised a range of activities that were planned around what people wanted to do.” from the report
Staff knew people well
Staff understood people's individual needs, preferences and communication methods. They worked with health and social care professionals when people's needs changed.
“Staff knew people very well, they understood what was important to each person and planned care accordingly.” from the report
Care records were still being transferred
minorThe home was moving care plans to an electronic system, but the transfer had not been fully completed at the inspection. The system was still being adjusted to meet the home's needs.
“The registered manager said the transfer of care plans had not been fully completed” from the report
Some areas were tired
minorRelatives and professionals described the home as homely and comfortable, but some areas needed updating. Redecoration and carpet replacement were under way.
“The feedback from relatives and visiting professionals included how 'homely' and 'comfortable' the home was, although some areas were tired.” from the report
- 01Has the transfer of all care plans to the electronic system now been completed?
- 02How are medicines records kept while care records and medicines information are being moved onto the same system?
- 03Which areas of the home have been redecorated or updated since the inspection?
- 04How will you make sure a person's communication needs are understood if they cannot speak about what they want?
- 05How do you review activities and make sure people who cannot join group activities are not left out?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the previous Good rating from 2017 remaining Good in each area. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 April 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, September 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found that earlier safety, care and management problems had been addressed.
This was an unannounced follow-up inspection on 21 and 24 July 2017. Inspectors checked whether the home had acted on four breaches found at an inspection in June 2016.
They reviewed care plans, medicines, staff records, complaints, accidents, audits and the building. They spoke with people living in the home, visitors and staff, and observed care and the lunchtime meal.
The inspectors found improvements in staffing, medicines, food safety, care planning, dignity and quality checks. They said all earlier concerns had been addressed and the home was no longer in breach of the regulations.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means the inspection found a good standard of care at that time, but it is not a guarantee that every experience will be the same.
Previous problems were fixed
The inspectors found that the four areas of legal concern from 2016 had been addressed. The home was no longer in breach of the regulations.
“We found all areas of concern had been addressed and the provider was no longer in breach of Regulation.” from the report
Medicines were managed safely
Medicines were stored, given, recorded and disposed of appropriately. Inspectors found the administration records were completed competently.
“Medicines were managed safely in accordance with current regulations and guidance.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People were supported by staff who knew them well and respected their privacy, dignity and choices.
“People felt well cared for and were treated with dignity and respect by kind and friendly staff.” from the report
Personalised care plans
Care plans included people's routines, preferences, life histories and changing support needs. Staff used this information to guide care.
“Care plans were in place to ensure people received care which was personalised to meet their needs, wishes and aspirations.” from the report
Improved management checks
The home had introduced regular audits, meetings and action plans to identify problems and make improvements.
“Quality assurance was measured and monitored to enable a good standard of service delivery.” from the report
Fire door needed attention
minorInspectors found one fire door that was not closing flush. The maintenance person knew about it and had listed it for repair.
“On the day of our inspection we identified a fire door which was not closing flush, the maintenance person was aware and identified it was on their list of faults to attend to.” from the report
Emergency guidance was still being updated
minorPersonal emergency evacuation plans were in place, but the home was still updating them with clearer guidance for day and night procedures.
“The registered manager was in the process of updating these to provide more prescriptive guidance for staff in relation to day or night procedures.” from the report
- 01Has the fire door found during the inspection been repaired, and how are fire safety checks recorded now?
- 02Have the personal emergency evacuation plans been fully updated for both day and night procedures?
- 03How do you check that staffing levels remain sufficient during mealtimes and in different areas of the home?
- 04How are medicines errors identified, recorded and followed up with staff training or supervision?
- 05How are people's care plans reviewed when their health, mobility or personal preferences change?
This was an unannounced follow-up inspection checking earlier breaches and rating the home across all five areas of care quality. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 September 2017 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 Elizabeth Court Rest Home
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- April 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 April 2011.
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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19 live-in carers within about an hour of East Sussex
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 £1,000 to £1,400 a week. 13 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“When he point blank refused to go into hospital for a life saving blood transfusion she talked him through the situation and agreed to go in the ambulance with him and stayed until he was settled.”
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