What the CQC found at Stratford Court

People and relatives said they felt safe. Staff had safeguarding training and knew how to report concerns.

“People told us they felt safe living at Stratford Court.” from the report

Medicines were stored safely and records showed people received them as prescribed. Pain relief patches were rotated using body maps.

“Medicines were stored safely and records indicated people received their medicine as required.” from the report

Staff worked as a team and alongside healthcare professionals to meet people's health needs.

“Staff worked well together as a team, sharing information and working alongside other healthcare professionals.” from the report

Staff obtained consent before providing support. Where restrictions were used, best-interest meetings and applications for authorisations had taken place.

“Staff understood the principles of the MCA and were observed to obtain people's consent prior to offering support.” from the report

People were supported promptly by regular staff who knew them. Staff said they felt supported in their work.

“We observed people were supported in a timely manner by a consistent group of staff who knew them well.” from the report

There were no personal emergency evacuation plans. The last recorded fire drill was from November 2018, so the home could not show that people could safely escape.

“There were no Personal Emergency Evacuation Plans (PEEPs) in place for people living at the service.” from the report

Care plans and risk assessments were not consistently reviewed. Information about falls and weight-loss risks was not always recorded or passed to staff.

“Information in people's care plans and risk assessments was not consistently reviewed to ensure it reflected people's current needs.” from the report

Audits and quality checks did not identify several problems, including missing safety records, recruitment gaps and overdue staff competency checks.

“Systems and processes to ensure monitoring and oversight of the quality and safety of the service were not operating effectively.” from the report

Some staff files did not show that employment gaps had been explored. Moving and handling competency checks for five staff were more than 12 months out of date.

“Records demonstrating staff competency checks in moving and handling were out of date.” from the report

Fridge and freezer temperatures had not been recorded for the previous week, and some food was out of date. The out-of-date items were removed during the inspection.

“There was no record of fridge and freezer daily temperature checks for the week prior to the inspection.” from the report

Visitors had to book appointments and were kept out of most of the home. Inspectors said this approach did not follow government guidance at the time.

“This approach was not in line with government guidance.” from the report