CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Avondale Lodge Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed. They found safe arrangements for PPE, testing, visiting, admissions, social distancing, cleaning and responding to possible 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, March 2021
Avondale Lodge Care Home: targeted infection control inspection found good COVID-19 safety practices, but the service was inspected and not rated.
The inspection was announced and focused only on infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic. The report gives the service an overall result of “Inspected but not rated”.
Inspectors found good arrangements for visitors, including accessible information, social distancing and personal protective equipment. Staff and residents were regularly tested, and people were checked daily for signs of infection.
Inspectors said they were assured that the home used PPE safely, admitted people safely, followed shielding and social distancing rules, and had an up-to-date infection control policy.
Good infection control arrangements
The home had procedures for visitors, PPE, social distancing and cleaning. Staff knew how to put full infection control measures in place when someone had symptoms.
“Staff were trained and knew how to immediately instigate full infection control measures to care for people with symptoms to avoid the virus spreading across the home.” from the report
Regular testing and health checks
People and staff were regularly tested. People were also checked each day for common and less obvious signs of infection.
“All staff and residents were also regularly tested as part of 'whole home testing'.” from the report
Safe use of protective equipment
Staff wore masks, gloves and aprons when providing personal care. The home had separate areas for putting on and removing PPE.
“Staff wore appropriate personal protective equipment including a mask, gloves and apron when delivering personal care to all people.” from the report
People could raise concerns
People were told how to raise concerns about infection control without fear of discrimination.
“People knew how to raise any concerns or complaints around IPC practice if they thought it was unsafe or not effective without fear or discrimination.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are people and staff tested now, and what happens when someone has symptoms?
- 02How do staff use PPE when providing personal care?
- 03How are new admissions checked and kept safe from infection?
- 04How are visitors given information about infection control and visiting procedures?
- 05How can residents and families raise concerns about infection control?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control under the Safe question, so it did not provide a full overall rating or ratings for the other questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 March 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, February 2020
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care across all five areas.
This was an unannounced inspection on 12 January 2020. One inspector spoke with six people living at the home, five visitors, the manager and two staff members. They reviewed care and medicines records, staff recruitment and training files, and other management records.
The inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines processes and suitable checks to protect people from harm. Care plans were detailed and regularly reviewed. Staff knew people well, treated them with kindness and supported their choices, dignity and independence.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating and the same rating in each area as at the previous inspection, published in May 2017.
Enough staff
Inspectors found staffing levels were suitable for people's needs. Staff were calm, professional and able to respond promptly.
“There were enough staff to support people safely and according to their needs.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans contained detailed information about people's needs and preferences. They were reviewed when people's circumstances changed.
“Care plans were individual and thorough with detailed information about people's needs, likes, and dislikes across a number of different areas of care.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People appeared happy and relaxed around staff. Staff supported privacy, dignity and independence.
“Staff treated people with kindness and respect.” from the report
Activities and social contact
People could join activities inside the home and in the community. The home also supported contact with families and local groups.
“The service supported people to take part in a variety of activities both inside the home and in the community.” from the report
Effective management
The home had quality checks, staff appraisals and systems for learning from incidents. Inspectors found the management systems appropriate for the size of the service.
“The registered manager had effective governance and quality systems in place, which were appropriate for the size of the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you make sure my relative's care plan is reviewed when their health or needs change?
- 02What training and experience do staff have in supporting dementia or other mental health needs?
- 03Which activities and outings would be suitable for my relative, and how often could they take part?
- 04How would you support my relative's communication needs, including any hearing, sight or other impairment?
- 05If my relative needed end of life care, how would you support them and their family?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and care provided; all five ratings were assessed during this visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 February 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 Avondale Lodge Care Home
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2020Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 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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26 live-in carers within about an hour of Hampshire
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
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.