CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at An Darach House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely, the environment was clean and maintained, and inspectors found enough staff at the time of the visit.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had suitable training and support. People were helped to make decisions, and their health, nutrition and communication needs were monitored and acted on.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind, knew people's preferences and supported independence. Inspectors saw that privacy and dignity were respected, including during personal care and everyday activities.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and regularly updated. People were supported to choose activities, maintain relationships and raise concerns.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager promoted an open and transparent culture. Regular checks, meetings and action plans were used to monitor and improve the home.
What inspectors found, November 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with past staffing problems now reported as addressed.
Inspectors visited on 16 October 2018. The inspection was announced. They observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and managers, and checked care records, medicines records, staff files and quality checks.
The home supported six people with learning disabilities. Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse, medicines were managed safely, and there were enough staff at the time of the visit. People received support with their health, nutrition, communication, choices and activities.
Staff were described as kind and respectful. Care plans were detailed and regularly reviewed. The home had an open culture, and systems were in place to monitor quality and deal with concerns. All five areas were rated Good.
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored, monitored, ordered and disposed of safely. Staff were trained, and the provider carried out regular checks.
“Medicines systems were well organised and people received their medicines as prescribed.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff listened to people, understood their preferences and protected their privacy. People were supported in a calm and dignified way.
“We observed that staff were kind and caring towards people when they were supporting them and people looked relaxed and comfortable with staff.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's histories, preferences, communication methods and goals. People were supported to make choices and follow their interests.
“Each person had a detailed set of care and support plans which were personalised to their own needs.” from the report
Health and nutrition
People were supported to attend health appointments and get help from specialist professionals. Their nutritional needs and preferred foods were recorded.
“People were supported to maintain their nutrition and staff monitored and responded promptly to people's health conditions.” from the report
Open management
Families and staff said communication with the manager was good. The home used audits, meetings and action plans to check the quality of care.
“There was an open and transparent culture and there were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality of the service.” from the report
Earlier staffing difficulties
needs fixingThe home had experienced problems maintaining staffing levels during the previous six months. The manager said this had been addressed, and inspectors found enough staff during the visit.
“The manager told us the home had experienced some issues with maintaining staffing levels during the past six months but that this had now been fully addressed.” from the report
Limited survey responses
minorThe manager was reviewing the annual survey system because it did not always suit people and families. The number of responses was often low.
“This was because the system did not always meet the needs of people and their family members and returned responses were often low in number.” from the report
End-of-life information still being gathered
minorThe manager had considered people's end-of-life support needs, but the relevant information had not yet been gathered for everyone.
“One person's care plan included this information and the manager told us they had begun to gather the information for other people.” from the report
- 01What has changed in staffing levels since the inspection, and how often are bank staff now needed?
- 02How do you make sure each person's care plan, communication guidance and goals are kept up to date?
- 03How are families and people supported to give feedback if the annual survey is difficult to use?
- 04What information is now recorded about each person's wishes and support at the end of life?
- 05How do you check that medicines, safeguarding incidents and care plans are being managed safely?
This was an announced inspection covering all five key questions, with observations, discussions and checks of selected care, medicines, staff and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 November 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 An Darach House
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
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What to check when you visit
9 live-in carers within about an hour of Lincolnshire
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.
8 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Martin was more than a carer, he managed the home and became my uncle's best friend, enriching his life during his last few years.”
“Magda was always positive and proactive about trying new things to keep dad busy. She also introduced new ideas for keeping dad healthy.”
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.