CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Allington House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed, including visitor screening, protective equipment, testing, cleaning and outbreak planning. The provider said it had measures to reduce risks linked to COVID-19 staffing pressures.
- 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, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control arrangements and no concerns recorded during this targeted visit.
Inspectors visited the home on 27 January 2022. The visit was announced with 24 hours' notice and focused on infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic.
They found robust infection control systems. Visitors were screened, staff used suitable protective equipment, testing was in place, and people had COVID-19 care plans and risk assessments.
The home was clean, tidy and well maintained. Inspectors were also assured that the home was managing visiting, admissions, outbreaks and vaccination requirements safely.
This was not a full inspection and no overall quality rating was given. The service and the Safe question were both recorded as inspected but not rated.
Infection control
The home had detailed infection control policies, procedures and systems in place.
“Robust infection control policies, procedures and systems were in place.” from the report
Visitor safety
Visitors had temperature checks and negative lateral flow tests. Vaccination status was checked where appropriate.
“Visitors were required to have their temperature taken and a negative lateral flow test.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home clean, tidy and well maintained, supported by cleaning schedules and regular audits.
“The service was clean, tidy and well maintained.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What measures are currently in place if COVID-19 causes staffing pressures?
- 02How are visitors screened and what visiting options are available now?
- 03How often are infection control audits carried out, and what happens if they identify a problem?
- 04How does the home manage COVID-19 testing and infection risks for people who are particularly vulnerable?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, with questions about staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection and the service was not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 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.
What inspectors found, September 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but medicines records and dietary guidance still needed attention.
Inspectors visited on 12 and 13 August 2019. The first day was unannounced. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives and staff, and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe and were positive about the staff, food, activities and care.
There were still some shortfalls. Medicines records were not always clear, and inspectors recommended improving the menu and staff guidance for special diets. The home had improved since the previous inspection and was no longer in breach of regulations.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe and secure. Safeguarding concerns were investigated and reported when needed.
“People told us they felt safe and secure living at Allington House.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. They knew people's preferences and adjusted support to suit them.
“Staff were observed providing respectful, kind and considerate care.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's routines, preferences, communication needs and personal goals. Staff knew people well and supported day-to-day choices.
“People received care and support which was focused on individual needs, preferences and routines.” from the report
Improved management
The provider had improved its quality checks and record keeping since the previous inspection. Inspectors found the management systems were now more consistent.
“Quality assurance systems were now completed in a robust and consistent manner.” from the report
Medicines records
needs fixingMedicines were administered safely, but staff did not always record the medicine and quantity in the same way. This made it difficult to reconcile the amounts held by the home.
“However, records that staff made were not always clear.” from the report
Special diet guidance
needs fixingThe menu did not fully cover vegetarian and diet-controlled diabetic choices. Inspectors also found that kitchen staff needed more up-to-date training about adapted diets.
“We recommend the provider updates the menu to include all dietary needs and obtains training on up to date guidance for staff.” from the report
Fluid intake records
minorFor people at risk of dehydration, the fluid target was recorded in the care plan but not on the fluid chart. Inspectors noted that people were receiving plenty of fluids.
“the target fluid intake had only been recorded in the care plan but not on the fluid intake chart.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure every medicine administration record clearly shows what was given and in what quantity?
- 02What changes have you made to the menu for vegetarian people and people with diet-controlled diabetes?
- 03What training have kitchen staff completed on adapted diets and fork-mashable meals?
- 04How are people's daily fluid targets shown on the charts used by staff?
- 05How do you check that the improvements made after the previous inspection are being maintained?
This was a planned inspection based on the previous rating and assessed all five CQC questions; the report says the service had improved from Requires Improvement and was no longer in breach of regulations. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 September 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.
Every inspection of Allington House
4 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2018Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 November 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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