CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Acorn Heights Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home had robust infection prevention and control arrangements. These included suitable protective equipment, staff testing, cleaning, social distancing, safe admissions and procedures for preventing or managing outbreaks.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, November 2020
Acorn Heights Care Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors found robust infection control and safe ways to keep families in contact.
Inspectors visited the home on 11 November 2020 as part of a coronavirus-related review of infection prevention and control in care homes. The inspection was announced and focused on how the home prevented and managed infection.
Inspectors found that staff understood and followed infection control procedures. Staff had training in infection control and protective equipment, wore suitable equipment, took part in weekly testing, and had plentiful supplies. The areas seen were clean.
The home had procedures for essential visitors, including health and temperature checks. It also used technology, window visits and outdoor patio visits to help people stay in touch with relatives. The home was calm, with people involved in everyday activities.
This report does not give an overall quality rating. The home was also marked 'Inspected but not rated' for Safe, so this visit should not be read as a full assessment of all aspects of care.
Infection control
Staff had received relevant training, followed infection control procedures and had enough protective equipment. The provider also carried out regular audits and kept its policies up to date.
“The management team had established robust infection prevention and control procedures which were understood and followed by staff.” from the report
Clean and calm environment
The areas seen by inspectors were clean. The atmosphere was relaxed, and people were occupied with ordinary activities.
“The atmosphere in the home was relaxed and calm. People were occupied with everyday tasks and activities such as craft activities, spending time talking to others or watching television.” from the report
Contact with relatives
Despite visiting restrictions, the home used several ways to help people maintain contact with relatives and was developing a safer outdoor visiting space.
“Management and staff had found ways to enable people to maintain contact with their relatives which included the use of technology, window visits and outdoor patio visits.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visits arranged now, and how are individual risks assessed for visitors?
- 02How often are staff and residents tested, and what happens if someone tests positive?
- 03How are protective equipment supplies checked and kept available?
- 04What arrangements are in place to prevent or manage an infection outbreak?
- 05Has the planned warm and safe outdoor visiting space been completed?
This was an announced thematic inspection focused on infection prevention and control; it did not provide an overall rating or assess the other care quality areas. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 November 2020 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, April 2018
Acorn Heights Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care and major improvements, with a few records and activities issues still to address.
Inspectors visited on 10 and 11 April 2018. The first day was unannounced. They spoke with people living in the home, staff and a healthcare professional, and reviewed care plans, medicines, staffing, recruitment, training, complaints and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe and were treated kindly. Inspectors found risks, medicines, staffing, care records and the home environment were being managed safely.
This was a significant improvement since the previous inspection in April 2017, when six regulations were still being breached. The report says the improvements meant all regulations were being met at this inspection.
Kind relationships
People described staff as kind, caring and respectful. Inspectors observed warmth, patience and positive relationships between staff and people.
“We observed staff interacted in a caring, friendly and respectful manner with people living in the home.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines records were clear and accurate in the sample checked. Staff had training and medicines were given at the correct times.
“We observed people's medicines were given at the correct time and in line with the information in their care plan;” from the report
Improved care records
Care plans were more detailed, personalised and regularly reviewed. They included people's likes, dislikes, preferences and routines.
“The care plans were organised and included valuable information about people's likes, dislikes, preferences and routines;” from the report
Stronger management checks
New audits and spot checks covered areas such as medicines, care plans, training, infection control and fire safety. Action plans were reviewed after shortfalls were found.
“We found there was an effective governance framework in place to ensure that quality monitoring was reviewed and regulatory requirements were managed correctly.” from the report
Improved environment
The home was clean, warm, comfortable and well lit. Some areas had been redecorated and refurbished, with more improvements planned.
“During this inspection we found improvements had been made and the home was comfortable, well lit, warm and maintained.” from the report
Personal information was incomplete
needs fixingThe report says ethnicity, sexual orientation and preferences about receiving care from male or female staff were not recorded. The manager said this would be included in future assessments and care planning.
“However, we noted people's ethnicity and sexual orientation was not recorded in their care documentation and their preferences with regard to being cared for by male or female staff were not recorded;” from the report
Some short-term care plans were missing
needs fixingThere were no short-term care plans for issues such as minor chest infections and skin tears. The manager said this would be discussed with staff and appropriate records maintained.
“However, we noted there were no short term care plans in place to provide guidance for staff in areas such as minor chest infections and skin tears.” from the report
Activities organiser vacancy
minorThe activities person had left, so staff were working extra hours to provide activities and outings until a replacement could be employed. Activities were still taking place during the inspection.
“The service did not have an activities person. We were told the activities person had left recently.” from the report
- 01Has an activities organiser now been appointed, and what activities and outings are currently available?
- 02How are ethnicity, sexual orientation and preferences about male or female carers recorded during assessment and care planning?
- 03What short-term care plans are now used for minor chest infections, skin tears and other changing needs?
- 04How do managers check that the new audits continue to identify and resolve problems?
- 05What further refurbishment or maintenance work from the development plan has been completed?
This was a planned inspection of the overall service, including care and the premises; the first day was unannounced and all five question ratings were assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 April 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 Acorn Heights Care Home
4 rated inspections over a year: the service has improved, from Inadequate to Good.
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- April 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2017Requires improvementup from InadequateSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2017Inadequatestayed InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: InadequateCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- October 2016InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: InadequateCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- October 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 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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