CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 20 Towngate East
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found safeguarding systems, risk checks, safe recruitment, infection control and staffing arrangements were in place. They noted some medicine recording issues and that thickeners were not initially kept securely.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care was based on people's assessed needs, choices and preferences. Staff had suitable training and support, although one staff member could not fully remember how to carry out CPR.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff understood people's personalities and preferences, involved families where appropriate, and supported independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were detailed, person-centred and regularly reviewed. People had access to activities, holidays and the local community, although people's end of life wishes had not been fully recorded.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a positive culture, supportive management and regular quality checks. Staff, people and relatives had opportunities to give feedback and raise concerns.
What inspectors found, October 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, with some records and the garden needing attention.
This was an unannounced inspection over two days. The inspector spoke with everyone living at the home, six family members, seven staff and visiting professionals. They reviewed care records, medicine records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were treated kindly, supported by staff who knew them well, and helped to make choices and develop independence.
There were some smaller issues. Medicine recording needed improvement, thickeners were not initially stored securely, one staff member could not fully remember CPR, and parts of the garden needed updating. The home dealt with some of these issues during or shortly after the inspection.
Kind and respectful care
People appeared happy and were supported by staff who knew their needs, personalities and preferences. Families were involved in care decisions and reviews.
“People were treated with kindness and compassion. There was a happy family atmosphere, people and staff cared about each other and enjoyed spending time together.” from the report
Person-centred support
Care plans reflected people's needs, wishes and preferences. Staff followed the plans and supported people to make choices and become more independent.
“During the inspection we observed staff supporting people exactly following the process laid out in their care and support plan.” from the report
Activities and community links
People were supported to take part in activities, outings and holidays, and to maintain relationships with relatives and the local community.
“People were supported to access the local community and participate in a wide range of activities, which included holidays.” from the report
Positive management
The home had audits, staff meetings and feedback processes. Staff said they could raise issues with management, and the home used care champions to share good practice.
“A range of audits and checks were carried out to monitor quality.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingInspectors found one or two medicine recording issues. The registered manager said these would be addressed immediately.
“We did find one or two recording issues which we discussed in feedback with the registered manager who said she would address immediately.” from the report
Secure storage of thickeners
needs fixingThickeners were not initially stored securely. The manager corrected this during the inspection, and inspectors confirmed nobody had been harmed.
“Thickeners were not kept in secure storage.” from the report
Garden access
minorParts of the garden needed updating to make them more accessible. The home said work on accessible walkways would start soon.
“Some parts of the garden area needed attention and developed to make the area more accessible.” from the report
CPR knowledge
needs fixingOne staff member could not fully remember how to carry out CPR. Management said this would be covered with all staff.
“When questioned, one staff member could not remember how to fully undertake CPR (cardio pulmonary resuscitation).” from the report
End of life wishes
needs fixingNo one was receiving end of life care at the time, but people's end of life wishes had not been fully recorded.
“People's end of life wishes had not been fully recorded.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to medicine recording since the inspection?
- 02How do you now make sure thickeners are stored securely?
- 03Has the garden been updated with accessible walkways, and can we see the changes?
- 04How have all staff's CPR skills been checked and refreshed?
- 05How do you record and review each person's end of life wishes?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the previous Good ratings in place since the inspection published on 22 March 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 October 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.
What inspectors found, March 2017
20 Towngate East was rated Good across all five areas; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with effective management.
This was an unannounced inspection on 18 January 2017. The inspector spent time with three residents, observed care, spoke with staff and the registered manager, and checked care, staffing, training and management records.
The home supported seven people with learning disabilities, most of whom had special communication needs. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practice, suitable training and support, and care plans that explained people's communication and health needs.
People were supported to make choices, stay in touch with family and friends, and take part in activities at home and in the community. Inspectors found a friendly atmosphere and said complaints were investigated and resolved.
All five areas were rated Good. The report says the home had acted on concerns from the previous inspection, including risks relating to the premises, and had improved its rating to Good.
Personalised care
Care plans included people's communication methods, routines, preferences and ways of showing their feelings or needs.
“People received person centred care which met their needs.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make decisions in ways they understood, and to take part in activities at home and in the community.
“People were enabled to live busy lives with a range of activities both at the home and within the community.” from the report
Respect and privacy
Staff used people's preferred communication and care methods. Inspectors saw that privacy and independence were supported wherever possible.
“Where possible technology was used to increase people's independence and privacy.” from the report
Active management
The registered manager used regular audits, gathered views and acted on concerns. The report says action had been taken since the previous inspection.
“There were effective audits in place to monitor the quality of care provided and appropriate action was taken if any concerns were identified.” from the report
Some social histories still being gathered
minorKey workers had not yet finished recording some people's social histories in their care plans. This could matter when helping new staff understand people's background and preferences.
“The key workers were in the process of gathering people's social history to document it in their care plan.” from the report
- 01How will you finish gathering and recording each person's social history?
- 02How are senior staff made available to relatives at weekends?
- 03How do you make sure staff understand each person's communication method before providing care?
- 04How are changes in people's needs passed to every staff member?
- 05What action has been completed in response to the premises risks found at the previous inspection?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 March 2017 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 20 Towngate East
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- October 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 December 2010.
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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9 live-in carers within about an hour of Lincolnshire
These are self-employed carers on PrimeCarers, the introductory agency that runs this directory. Each has a profile with their own rates and reviews from families, and you choose who to talk to.
8 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Martin was more than a carer, he managed the home and became my uncle's best friend, enriching his life during his last few years.”
“Magda was always positive and proactive about trying new things to keep dad busy. She also introduced new ideas for keeping dad healthy.”
Every carer has had an enhanced DBS check in the last 18 months, ID and right-to-work checks and an online interview. Their skills and training are for you to check with them. Carers set their own rates, and who is free changes week to week.