CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Archers Court
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 safety, social distancing, testing, personal protective equipment, cleaning and outbreak management.
- 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 2021
Archers Court was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control during a coronavirus outbreak review.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 22 January 2021. Inspectors looked specifically at infection prevention and control because the home had experienced a coronavirus outbreak.
Inspectors found the home was clean and that frequently touched surfaces received extra cleaning. Social distancing was followed, furniture had been rearranged where needed, and personal protective equipment was stored, used and disposed of safely.
The home followed national guidance for new admissions and had arrangements for testing, outbreak management and safe visits. Staffing levels had been maintained with help from agency staff.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or a rated judgement for safe care.
Clean environment
The home was very clean and had extra cleaning for frequently touched surfaces.
“The environment was very clean, with enhanced cleaning taking place of frequently touched surfaces.” from the report
Safe visits and family contact
People could keep in touch with relatives by video or telephone, and visits were supported in line with current guidance.
“The provider had developed ways to safely support visits in line with the latest guidance.” from the report
Staffing maintained
Staffing levels were maintained during the recent outbreak, with support from agency staff.
“Staffing levels had been maintained during the recent outbreak with the support of agency staff.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are infection prevention and control arrangements being maintained now?
- 02How are visits being supported, and what happens if coronavirus guidance changes?
- 03How are people and staff being tested, and how are positive results managed?
- 04How are new admissions assessed and kept safe from infection?
- 05How often are agency staff used, and how are staffing levels maintained?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during a coronavirus outbreak review; it did not provide a full service rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 February 2021 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 2020
Archers Court was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care across all five areas.
This was an unannounced inspection on 13 and 21 November 2019. The inspection team spoke with people living in the home, family members and staff. They observed care and checked care records, medicine records, recruitment files and management records.
Inspectors rated the home Good for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found enough staff, safe medicine arrangements, suitable training and good support with food and healthcare.
People were treated with dignity and respect. Inspectors found care plans were personalised, communication needs were supported and there were activities to reduce social isolation. The home also had systems for complaints, feedback and checking the quality of care.
The overall rating remained Good, as it had been at the previous inspection published on 13 May 2017. The Safe rating improved from Requires Improvement to Good because recruitment checks had improved.
Managing risks
Risks were assessed and managed. The provider reviewed accidents and incidents and made changes to reduce the chance of them happening again.
“Risks were well managed and the provider learned from previous accidents and incidents to reduce future risks.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors found a strong person-centred culture. Staff supported dignity, independence and individual interests.
“There was a strong, visible person-centred culture. Staff treated people with dignity and respect.” from the report
Activities and relationships
The home offered individual and group activities based on people's interests. Inspectors found good links with the local community and support to prevent isolation.
“Person-centred activities were at the heart of the service.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The provider used meetings, surveys, walkarounds and other checks to gather views and identify issues.
“An effective quality assurance process was in place.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you make sure there are enough staff available for my relative, especially when staff are busy?
- 02How will you support my relative's specific communication needs, including any need for British Sign Language or dementia communication support?
- 03What was the outcome of the assessment visit for the home's end of life care framework?
- 04How will my relative's interests and wishes be used to plan regular activities?
- 05What recruitment checks and references will you complete before employing staff?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, and CQC looked at both the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 January 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.
Every inspection of Archers Court
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- January 2020Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2017GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 25 April 2016.
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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46 live-in carers within about an hour of Sunderland
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 £950 to £1,210 a week. 42 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.