CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Barley House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staff understood individual risks, medicines were safely managed and there were enough staff to support people.
- Effective?
- Good
- Care plans and assessments were regularly reviewed, staff had the training they needed and people were supported with food, drink and healthcare. One person's sight and dental appointments had been overdue, but the home said new oversight would prevent this happening again.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were kind, respectful and attentive. People were supported to make everyday decisions, keep their privacy and develop their independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support was personalised and adapted to people's communication needs, interests and changing circumstances. People were helped to take part in community life and maintain important relationships.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers and staff shared a clear focus on personalised care. Quality checks identified actions needed, including catching up on staff supervision and improving some medicines administration arrangements.
What inspectors found, February 2020
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, with some records and appointment arrangements still being improved.
The inspection took place on 27 January 2020. One inspector met both people living in the home, spoke with one of them, staff, managers and a provider representative. Feedback from relatives and a health professional was also considered. Records about care, medicines, complaints and quality checks were reviewed.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found staff understood people's needs, respected their choices and supported them to build independence, maintain relationships and take part in activities they enjoyed.
The home had systems to manage risks, medicines, staff training and quality checks. Some improvements were still being made. These included clearer recording of consent, developing end of life care plans, improving communication information and ensuring health appointments were not missed.
The overall Good rating means the inspectors found a consistent standard of care and management at the time of the visit. The previous inspection, published in August 2017, was also rated Good.
Kind and knowledgeable staff
Staff knew people well, understood how they communicated and built positive relationships with them. Relatives were confident in the safety and kindness of the support.
“People were supported by a caring, knowledgeable and committed staff team.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices about their routines, activities and staff support. The home also helped them gain skills and become more independent.
“The outcomes for the people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support” from the report
Safe medicines and risk management
Staff understood individual risks and had training to manage them. Medicines were administered safely, reviewed with health professionals and audited.
“Medicines were safely managed. Staff administering medicines had received the necessary training to carry out this role safely.” from the report
Personalised daily life
People were supported to shop, cook, take part in enjoyable activities and stay connected with people who mattered to them. Staff adapted plans when people's needs or interests changed.
“People were involved in their local community and spent their time doing things they valued or enjoyed.” from the report
Open management
Staff and relatives said managers were approachable and responsive. The manager involved staff in reviewing systems and paperwork and acted on identified improvements.
“The manager had started a comprehensive review of systems and paperwork in place.” from the report
Missed routine appointments
needs fixingOne person had been overdue for sight and dental checks. The issue was identified after changes to oversight, and the home said the new arrangements would prevent future missed appointments.
“One person had been overdue appointments to check their sight and teeth.” from the report
End of life plans not finished
minorEnd of life care plans were still being developed. Families should check whether people's wishes are now recorded and discussed.
“Care plans about end of life wishes were being developed to ensure discussions could be had with people and relatives, at a time that was appropriate to them.” from the report
Some records being improved
minorThe home was changing its documentation so consent was recorded more clearly. Communication information was also still being developed.
“Changes in documentation were underway that would record this process more clearly within the framework of the MCA.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure sight, dental and other routine health appointments are booked and attended on time?
- 02Have the planned changes to consent records and communication information been completed?
- 03How do you record and review each person's end of life wishes with them and their relatives?
- 04How can people take more control over their medicines, and what support is available?
- 05What actions were taken after the quality checks identified improvements needed in medicines administration and staff supervision?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the care and the premises, and the previous Good ratings were reassessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 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.
What inspectors found, August 2017
Barley House is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with all five areas rated Good.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 1 August 2017. One inspector met both people living at the home, spoke with staff and a relative, and checked care, medicine, recruitment, health and safety, and quality records.
The inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicine systems and suitable checks to protect people from harm. People received support with their health, had their choices respected, and were helped to take part in activities, trips and holidays.
Staff were described as kind, patient and respectful. The home was led by a visible manager who knew people well and used regular checks to look for improvements.
The home was rated Good in every area and remained Good, as it had been at the previous inspection in June 2015. The report says there were no breaches of regulations at that earlier inspection.
Enough skilled staff
The inspectors found adequate staffing and staff who had the training and knowledge needed to support people safely.
“People were supported by adequate numbers of staff who had the skills and knowledge to meet their needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff took time with people, respected their privacy and communicated in a considerate way.
“Staff communicated with people in a very kind and respectful manner and respected people's right to privacy.” from the report
Personalised activities
People were helped to follow their interests and take part in outings, holidays and everyday activities they enjoyed.
“People were supported to follow their interests and take part in a range of activities, trips and holidays.” from the report
Health and medicines
The home monitored people's health and had trained staff who administered medicines safely.
“People's medicines were safely managed and administered by staff who had the skills and training to carry out the task.” from the report
Visible management
The manager was regularly present, knew people well and used audits to identify and address improvements.
“The registered manager was very visible in the home and it was evident that people were comfortable in their presence.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would staffing and support change if my relative's needs became more complex?
- 02How are medicines checked and how are changes or as-required medicines recorded?
- 03How would you support my relative's particular interests, activities and contact with family?
- 04How are health action plans and hospital passports kept up to date?
- 05What improvements have the latest quality audits identified, and what action was taken?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five areas, with both people living at the home and a sample of care and management records reviewed. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 August 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 Barley House
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2020Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 2 June 2014.
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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76 live-in carers within about two hours of Somerset
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 £1,370 a week. 62 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
“She was not phased by anything, she was adaptable, kind & gave us complete confidence to go away & not worry about a thing!”
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.