CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Little Court Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed, including PPE, testing, cleaning, visiting, admissions and outbreak control. The provider also said it had measures to reduce the risks from COVID-19-related staffing pressures.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, March 2022
Little Court Care Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors found effective infection control during a COVID-19 outbreak.
This was a targeted inspection on 20 January 2022. It looked at infection prevention and control during a COVID-19 outbreak, and at whether staffing pressures affected care. The visit was announced one day beforehand.
Inspectors found good practice. Staff knew how to put on and remove personal protective equipment correctly. The home used regular testing, extra cleaning and separate staffing for people with COVID-19.
Inspectors were assured that the home was managing visitors, admissions, personal protective equipment, testing, hygiene, outbreaks and visits safely. The home was also meeting the requirement for non-exempt staff and visiting professionals to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The service was inspected but not rated. This was not a full assessment of the overall quality of care, so the report does not give a current overall rating.
COVID-19 outbreak control
The home used regular testing, extra cleaning and assigned staff to work only with people who had COVID-19.
“During a Covid outbreak effective measures were put in place to protect people and to minimise the spread of infection” from the report
Safe use of PPE
Staff understood how to put on and remove personal protective equipment correctly.
“Staff understood how to correctly put on and remove PPE.” from the report
Wide infection control arrangements
Inspectors were assured about the home's arrangements for visitors, admissions, testing, hygiene, outbreak management and visits.
“We were assured that the provider was making sure infection outbreaks can be effectively prevented or managed.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How have your infection prevention and control arrangements changed since the inspection in January 2022?
- 02How do you currently manage visitors and visits when there is an infection outbreak?
- 03How often are residents and staff tested when there is an outbreak?
- 04How do you make sure staff use PPE correctly and safely?
- 05Are staffing pressures currently affecting the care or support residents receive?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, with questions about COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection and the service was not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 March 2022 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, May 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some building and fire-safety improvements still being completed.
This was an unannounced inspection on 07 May 2019. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, staff, managers and others. They also reviewed care records, medicines, training, safety checks and how the home was managed.
People told inspectors they were positive about the home. They found enough staff, safe medicines management, suitable care plans and good support with food, healthcare, activities and end-of-life care. Staff were described as kind, respectful and polite.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall Good rating was maintained from the previous inspection on 31 October 2016. Some minor building, infection-control and fire-safety issues had been identified and were being addressed.
Enough staff
Inspectors found that staffing levels met people's nursing and personal-care needs. People said staff responded promptly when help was needed.
“I get a lot of help from the staff and they always seem to be around when I need them.” from the report
Respectful care
Staff knocked before entering bedrooms, gave people time to speak and supported privacy, dignity and independence.
“The staff don't just barge in when they like. They knock and I say that they can come in.” from the report
Personalised routines
People could choose when to get up and go to bed. Staff supported hobbies, interests and activities in ways suited to each person.
“There's no set routines here as such. I decide what time I get up and go to bed. The staff aren't forever hustling me around.” from the report
Good oversight
Managers used audits and inspections to check care, medicines, incidents, health and safety. They acted when checks found areas needing improvement.
“The registered manager was completing regular quality checks to monitor and evaluate the running of the service.” from the report
Fire-safety work
needs fixingThe local fire-safety authority had recommended improvements so the system fully met national guidance. Interim steps were in place, but some work was still due to be completed.
“In April 2019 the local fire safety authority had recommended that a limited number of improvements be made to enable the service's fire safety system to comply fully with national guidance.” from the report
Older commodes
minorSome commodes had wooden frames that were harder to clean than plastic ones. Extra cleaning was being carried out while replacement equipment was awaited.
“Until new plastic commodes were delivered to the service, the housekeepers were spending extra time cleaning the older wooden frames to ensure that they were in a hygienic condition.” from the report
Building repairs
minorA communal bathroom had a badly rusted towel rail and missing control valves. Replacement was promised immediately.
“In a communal bathroom the towel rail was badly rusted and the control valves were missing.” from the report
Bedroom door locks
needs fixingMost bedroom doors did not have locks, so people could not secure their private space. The home said people would be asked again and locks fitted if wanted.
“Most bedroom doors did not have locks and so people were not able to secure their private space.” from the report
- 01Has all the fire-safety work recommended in April 2019 now been completed?
- 02Have the older wooden commodes been replaced with plastic commodes?
- 03Have the communal bathroom towel rail and missing control valves been repaired?
- 04Are bedroom locks now available for people who want them?
- 05How are care plans reviewed when a person's needs or wishes change?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five questions, and the Good overall rating was maintained from the October 2016 inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 31 May 2019 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 Little Court Care Home
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- May 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 June 2014.
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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Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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