CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Alexander House Care Home - Cheltenham
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and identified risks. Medicines were given as prescribed, staffing levels were judged sufficient, and recruitment checks were described as robust.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed, with health and social care professionals involved where appropriate. Staff had access to training, supervision and induction, and people were supported with food, healthcare and decision-making.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in daily decisions and encouraged to remain as independent as possible.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans recorded people's communication needs, preferences and support requirements. People were offered choices about activities, relationships and time in the community, and complaints were managed appropriately.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The management was visible and approachable, and staff felt supported. Audits, spot checks, meetings and other quality systems were used to monitor the service and identify improvements.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Alexander House Care Home - Cheltenham was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care across all five areas.
The inspection took place on 27 and 29 August 2019. One inspector reviewed care, medicines, staffing and management records, observed care, spoke with people and staff, and gathered feedback from a regular visitor and the local authority safeguarding team.
The home supported 10 people with mental health, learning disability and physical disability needs. Inspectors found that people received their medicines as prescribed, were protected from identified risks, and were supported by staff who knew them well. People had choices about their daily routines, activities and access to the local community.
All five CQC questions were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. This means the inspectors found good-quality care and management at the time of the inspection. The previous overall rating was also Good, published on 10 January 2017.
Safe medicines support
Inspectors found that medicines were given as prescribed and records were accurate. The home also carried out regular checks of medicines records and stock.
“People received their medicines as prescribed. Care staff kept an accurate record of when people had received their medicines.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff were described as caring and compassionate, and inspectors saw people being treated with dignity. Staff knew people's needs and respected their choices.
“People were supported by a kind, caring and compassionate care team who knew people's needs.” from the report
Personalised activities
The home offered different activities and tailored opportunities to people's interests, including time outdoors, animals, volunteering and community trips.
“The service continually reviewed activities at the home and ensured people had several options of how they wished to spend their time.” from the report
Quality monitoring
Management carried out audits and spot checks covering areas such as care records, medicines, infection control and health and safety. Actions identified were followed up.
“Monthly health and safety audits and spot checks were carried out by the management team.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are medicines currently checked, including any errors, monthly audits and weekly stock checks?
- 02How do you decide staffing levels and provide consistent staff support, including any use of agency staff?
- 03How will you support my relative's communication needs, including any pictorial aids, signs or other preferred methods?
- 04How are people's choices about activities, community access and independence recorded and reviewed?
- 05If my relative lacks capacity for a decision, how are best-interest decisions and any Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards arrangements kept under review?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including both the care provided and the premises; the previous Good ratings were reviewed and remained unchanged. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 December 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, January 2017
Alexander House Care Home - Cheltenham was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements since the previous inspection.
Inspectors visited on 03 November 2016 without announcing the visit. They spoke with five people, two staff members and the registered manager. They observed care, reviewed four care files and checked management records.
The home supported nine people at the time, with space for up to 10. Inspectors rated all five areas Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led.
The previous inspection in December 2015 found problems with medicines and risks in the building. This inspection found that the home had acted and now met the legal requirements. Medicines were given as prescribed, records were accurate, and building concerns had been addressed.
People told inspectors they felt safe and enjoyed living at the home. Staff were described as kind and knowledgeable. Care plans reflected people's preferences, people were supported to access the local community, and the management used audits and people's views to improve the service.
Medicines were managed safely
Inspectors found that people received medicines as prescribed and that staff kept clear records. Storage and temperature checks were also in place.
“People received their medicines as prescribed. Care staff kept a clear record of the support they provided people regarding their prescribed medicines” from the report
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe in the home. Staff understood safeguarding and knew how to report concerns.
“People told us they felt safe in the home. Comments included: "I feel safe here, they really look after me” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and supported their dignity, choices and personal routines.
“Care staff treated people with dignity and kindness. People were supported to make choices.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's histories, preferences and health needs. Staff supported people to spend their time as they wished and to use the local community.
“People's care plans included information relating to their social and health care needs. They were written with clear instructions for staff about how care should be delivered.” from the report
Open management
People said the manager was approachable and that their views were heard. Audits and meetings were used to identify and make improvements.
“The registered manager had effective systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of care people received.” from the report
Staff recruitment pressure
minorInspectors found enough staff on the days checked, but a staff member said recruiting good staff was difficult and that more staff were needed. The manager was recruiting to reduce pressure on the existing team.
“However getting good staff is a problem. We need more staff to help throughout the day” from the report
- 01How many care staff are usually on duty during the day and night, and has recruitment reduced pressure on the team?
- 02How are medicines checked now to make sure they are given as prescribed and recorded accurately?
- 03What regular checks are made on the building, and how quickly are repairs completed?
- 04How are people's care plans reviewed when their health or support needs change?
- 05How are residents' views about food, activities and daily life acted on?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five quality areas and followed up concerns found at the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 January 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 Alexander House Care Home - Cheltenham
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Alexander House Care Home - Cheltenham →
- January 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Alexander House Care Home - Cheltenham →
- February 2016GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 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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