St Catherine's Care Centre Limited

This CQC inspection report for St Catherine's Care Centre provides an overview of the service's performance in key areas. The report details findings from an inspection conducted in November 2023, focusing on safety and leadership. It highlights areas where the service is performing well, as well as areas identified for improvement to ensure the best possible care for residents. Families choosing a care home will find this summary useful in understanding the service's strengths and areas needing attention.

On safety, the report indicates that while staff are kind and caring and recruited safely, there were concerns about insufficient staffing levels which sometimes led to residents waiting for care. Risks to residents were not always managed effectively, with examples of unaddressed weight loss and care plans not consistently followed for repositioning. Medication management also required improvement, with guidance lacking detail for certain types of medicines and inconsistencies in the use of emollients and barrier creams. Furthermore, while some hygiene improvements were noted, ongoing concerns about cleanliness in communal areas and some bedrooms persisted.

In terms of how effective the care is, the report found that risks related to aspiration and diabetes were managed well, with appropriate referrals and care plans in place. Staff effectively used tools to identify deteriorating health and made necessary referrals to healthcare professionals.

Regarding caring practices, residents and their relatives reported that staff were kind, friendly, and understood their needs. The feedback from satisfaction surveys indicated that staff were approachable and respected residents' preferences.

Concerningly, the report notes that while people were supported to have maximum choice and control, and staff practiced in the least restrictive way possible, the overall responsiveness to residents' needs was impacted by staffing levels. Some relatives and residents felt their views and suggestions were not always listened to or acted upon.

In the area of being well-led, quality assurance systems did not effectively identify all shortfalls. While a service improvement plan was developed in response to professional concerns, the management team's effectiveness in collaborating with other professionals was an area for development. Concerns were raised by staff and relatives about their feedback not always being acted upon. However, the provider did demonstrate responsiveness to concerns raised by the Fire and Rescue Service regarding fire safety.