Sovereign Court

Date of Assessment: 11 February to 28 February 2025. Sovereign Court is a residential care home providing personal care for up to 12 people with mental health needs. From 2019 to 2022 Sovereign Court was registered with the sister home Sovereign Lodge. The provider took the decision to revert back to registering the homes separately. At the time of the inspection 12 people used the service. In September 2023 the registered manager came into post, as the previous long-standing manager was promoted to a regional post. Over the last 18 months, they have focused on making the service more person-centred, improving the quality of the food people receive and the oversight of the service. The provider operated a model of promoting staff from within the company and how measures could be put in place to more effectively support staff to learn managerial and communication skills as they progressed through the service. People felt safe. Staff understood people's needs and how to manage any presenting risks. The management team ensured assessments were completed in a timely manner and were accurate. These were used as the basis for the care records. We discussed enhancements that could be made to these, such as providing more information about the impact of people’s mental health on their day-to-day life. Staff had received training around the application of the Mental Capacity Act 2005 and associated code of practice. We discussed the need to ensure capacity assessments, and ‘best interest’ decisions covered all decisions. The registered manager immediately made these improvements. Staff treated people with dignity and kindness. People experienced a wide range of activities within and outside the home. Relatives and professionals were impressed by how staff were supporting people to be involved in decisions and get enjoyment from their lives.