CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 361 The Ridge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, February 2022
361 The Ridge is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some unclear as-needed medicines guidance and recent management changes.
Inspectors visited on 20 and 21 January 2022. The first day was unannounced and the second was announced. They spoke with people, staff and relatives, observed care, and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from harm, supported by enough trained staff, treated with kindness, and helped to make choices and develop independence.
The home had personalised care plans, supported people to take part in activities and attend college, and worked with health professionals. Inspectors found that as-needed medicines instructions were not always clear, but staff updated some documents during the inspection. This was the first inspection since the service was registered under the current provider. The previous rating, under a previous provider, was Requires Improvement.
Risks were understood
People had individual risk assessments and staff knew how to support them safely. Incidents were recorded and used to reduce the chance of them happening again.
“Risks to people were managed. People had risk assessments that were specific to them and provided staff with information on how to support that person.” from the report
Kind, respectful care
Inspectors saw warm and compassionate interactions. Staff understood people's communication, emotions and personal histories.
“People received kind and compassionate care from staff who used positive, respectful language which people understood and responded well to.” from the report
Activities and community life
People were supported to enjoy hobbies, outings, education and new experiences. Inspectors saw people taking part in activities they wanted to do.
“People were supported to get involved in activities they wanted to do.” from the report
Learning from incidents
The home reviewed incidents and made changes to improve safety. This included strengthening the induction given to agency staff.
“The management of the service made changes to improve people's support following learning from incidents.” from the report
As-needed medicines guidance
needs fixingSome protocols did not clearly explain how and when as-needed medicines should be given. Staff updated documents during the second day of the inspection.
“However, these were not always clear. We identified some needed clarity, and documents were updated by staff on the second day of our inspection.” from the report
Management continuity
minorThere was no manager registered with the CQC at the time of inspection. The report also describes a period of management instability, although staff morale was positive and support was in place.
“There had been a period of instability at the home with some changes in management.” from the report
- 01Who is currently managing the home, and what is the plan for having a manager registered with the CQC?
- 02How are as-needed medicines explained to staff, and how do you check that the instructions are clear and followed?
- 03How many regular staff work at the home, and how do you keep agency staff consistent and familiar with each person's needs?
- 04How will my relative be involved in choosing activities, meals and decisions about their support?
- 05How do you review incidents and show that changes have made care safer?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered service and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; the previous Requires Improvement rating was under a previous provider. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 February 2022 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 361 The Ridge
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2022Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2019Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 December 2020.
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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19 live-in carers within about an hour of East Sussex
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 £1,000 to £1,400 a week. 13 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“When he point blank refused to go into hospital for a life saving blood transfusion she talked him through the situation and agreed to go in the ambulance with him and stayed until he was settled.”
“Una felt safe, secure and loved in her time with Debbie which is a gift that I am eternally grateful for.”
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.