Northcott House Residential Care and Nursing Home

This CQC inspection report for Northcott House Residential Care and Nursing Home provides an overview of the care provided to 53 residents, many of whom live with dementia or the frailties of old age. The inspection focused on assessing the safety, effectiveness, and leadership of the home, with a particular emphasis on addressing concerns raised about medicines, care, and staffing. The report highlights both positive developments and areas where improvements are needed to ensure consistent high-quality care for all residents.

On safety, the home has seen some positive changes like an extended activity team and refurbishments, and staff recruitment processes are robust. However, risk assessments and care plans did not consistently contain the necessary information for staff to provide safe care, and medication management, including the storage and administration of creams and powders, required improvement. There were also concerns about fire safety and the appropriate functioning of equipment, such as a hoist.

In terms of how effective the care is, residents generally have access to healthcare services and staff are knowledgeable about individual needs. The home is also working to improve dietary support and has robust processes for the Mental Capacity Act. However, collaboration with external agencies could be more consistent, and the environment within the building did not always adapt well to the needs of residents with dementia, with long corridors and identical room doors offering little orientation.

Regarding caring practices, people and their relatives described staff as kind, and residents feel safe. Staff are knowledgeable about safeguarding and receive appropriate training. There's a focus on supporting residents with maximum choice and control, and staff consistently apply these principles in their interactions. The home has also made positive changes to menus based on feedback.

The service's responsiveness has also seen positive shifts, with improvements in the activity program and menus following resident and relative meetings. Residents confirmed they can have visitors freely and feel their needs are listened to. The team is also actively seeking further training opportunities for staff, particularly around supporting those living with dementia.

On leadership, while the registered manager has responded positively to identified shortfalls and is implementing changes, the overall governance and management systems were not always effective in identifying and rectifying issues consistently. While audits exist, they did not always highlight the shortfalls found, and improvements were not always sustained over time. The manager is committed to ongoing development and improvement for the service.