CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 244 Wootton Road
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, October 2017
Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, but staff support and some health records needed improvement.
This was an unannounced first inspection on 29 June 2017. One inspector spoke with people using the service, staff and managers, observed care, and checked care plans, medicine records, staff files, rotas and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, caring, responsive and well-led were all rated Good. Effective was rated Requires Improvement because formal staff support was overdue and some healthcare records were incomplete.
Inspectors found enough suitably recruited staff, safe medicines systems and good safeguarding arrangements. People were treated with kindness and dignity, involved in their care, and supported to follow their own interests and activities.
Staffing and safeguarding
Inspectors found enough staff for people's assessed needs, robust recruitment checks and clear safeguarding arrangements. The home had also acted after a safeguarding concern.
“Staffing levels matched the assessed safe levels and were appropriate to the needs of the people who used the service.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and supported their dignity, independence and communication. Inspectors saw relaxed and friendly relationships.
“Staff were patient and gave people time to make their own decisions.” from the report
Person-centred support
Care plans described people's preferences and how staff should support them. People could choose activities and change their minds about plans.
“Each person had a comprehensive care plan which was person centred and contained information staff needed to help guide them to offer the right support and care.” from the report
Activities and community life
People were supported to enjoy hobbies, social activities and trips out. The home had a strong focus on helping people access the community.
“There was a very strong commitment to enabling people to get out into the community.” from the report
Medicines management
Medicine stocks matched the records, staff were assessed as competent, and records were completed fully. Regular audits were in place.
“Medicines were administered safely and records related to medicines management were accurately completed.” from the report
Formal staff support was overdue
needs fixingFormal supervision and staff meetings had not taken place since September 2016, and no annual appraisals were recorded. Inspectors said oversight of staff performance and concerns needed to improve.
“We found that formal supervision sessions and staff meetings had not taken place since September 2016.” from the report
Induction records and timing
needs fixingTwo staff workbooks were blank, and their four-day induction took place several weeks after they started working. Inspectors could not be fully assured that they had the required skills before providing care.
“This meant that we could not be fully assured that staff had all the skills and training they required before they started to provide care and support.” from the report
Incomplete health recording
needs fixingOne person's bowel movement charts had significant gaps, including in archived records. There was no record of action taken when the person did not open their bowels.
“Poor recording of this issue meant we could not be fully assured that this aspect of their health was being fully supported.” from the report
One undated medicine bottle
minorMost creams and liquids were dated, but inspectors found one bottle without a date. The wider medicines system was otherwise found to be safe.
“Creams and liquids were mostly dated but we did identify one undated bottle.” from the report
- 01How often are staff now receiving supervision, attending staff meetings and having formal appraisals?
- 02How do you make sure new staff complete their induction and workbook before providing care?
- 03How are bowel movement charts checked, and what action is taken when records show a possible health concern?
- 04How do you check that creams and liquid medicines are dated and safe to use?
- 05How is the home overseen when the registered manager is not permanently based there?
This was an unannounced first inspection covering all five CQC questions, with observations, discussions and checks of care, medicines, staffing and quality records. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 October 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 244 Wootton Road
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- October 2017Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 8 July 2015.
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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13 live-in carers within about an hour of Norfolk
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.
Most charge £990 to £1,120 a week. 9 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
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.