CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 4 Old Barn Close
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed, medicines were stored and administered safely, recruitment checks were completed, and the home was clean. Some relatives said staffing levels occasionally limited community activities.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in, and staff supported choice and lawful decision-making. Staff training was not always renewed on time because there were not enough places on courses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were observed treating people with kindness and respect. They knew people's communication methods, preferences and histories, and protected their privacy and dignity.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and activities such as shopping and trips to the seaside were supported where possible. Relatives said concerns were dealt with quickly and they knew how to complain.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Relatives and staff described managers as open, accessible and supportive. Audits, reviews and feedback systems were used to monitor care and the safety of the home.
What inspectors found, October 2018
4 Old Barn Close was rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, with some staff training delays and occasional limits on community activities.
The CQC carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 4 and 5 September 2018. One inspector spoke with staff and relatives, reviewed care and medicines records, checked recruitment and safety documents, and observed care.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that people had personalised care plans, medicines were managed safely, staff treated people with kindness, and relatives were positive about the care.
There were some shortfalls. Training places were not always available when staff needed to renew their training, including medicines training. Two relatives also said that staff shortages sometimes affected people's ability to go out and take part in activities.
Safe medicines management
Medicines were given by trained staff, stored securely and recorded accurately. Inspectors found the medicines records and checks to be safe.
“Records of the medicines administered were up to date and accurate.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff understood people's needs and supported their independence and choices. Inspectors saw that privacy and dignity were maintained.
“We observed how people were treated with kindness and respect.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's histories, likes, communication methods and specific needs. Equipment was provided to support independence and activities.
“People's care plans were personalised and focussed on their specific needs.” from the report
Open management
Staff and relatives said managers listened, were accessible and kept people informed. The home used audits and review meetings to monitor care.
“People's relatives told us the service was open and honest with them and relayed all the necessary information to them.” from the report
Training delays
needs fixingThe provider did not always offer enough training places for staff to renew training on time. Not all staff had renewed their medicines training, although yearly competency checks were used in the meantime.
“We found the provider failed to offer sufficient places on training courses to ensure that staff could renew their training in a timely way.” from the report
Occasional staffing limits
needs fixingTwo relatives said there were sometimes not enough staff to help people leave the home and enjoy community activities. The home was recruiting and using regular bank staff while a vacancy remained.
“However, two people's relatives told us occasionally there were insufficient numbers of staff to enable people to leave the service and enjoy activities in the community.” from the report
- 01How many staff vacancies are there now, and do staffing levels still affect people's outings or community activities?
- 02Have all staff now completed or renewed their medicines training?
- 03How do you check staff competence while they are waiting for formal training?
- 04What activities are available for my relative, and how often can they go out?
- 05How will you involve me in reviewing my relative's personalised care plan?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the report says the previous Good ratings continued. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 October 2018 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 4 Old Barn Close
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- October 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 January 2011.
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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89 live-in carers within about an hour of Buckinghamshire
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 £1,020 to £1,300 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“We can all fully relax around Nyarai and she feels like part of our family, which is no mean feat!”
“She was v competent and confident and we felt our mum was safe in her care. She supported us through a difficult time.”
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.