CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Benkhill Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2021
Benkhill Lodge was inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection prevention and visiting arrangements.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 23 February 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors were assured that the home managed visitors, testing, personal protective equipment, social distancing, cleaning and possible outbreaks safely. People could have organised visits in a designated indoor visiting pod.
The home was inspected but not rated. This report does not give an overall quality rating or assess all five areas of care.
Safe visiting
Visitors had to follow several safety checks, and relatives could meet people in a designated indoor visiting area.
“People were supported to receive organised visits from relatives in a designated safe indoor 'visiting pod' area with robust cleaning and PPE procedures in place.” from the report
PPE and staff training
The home had suitable PPE, separate changing areas and training for staff on using PPE and hand hygiene.
“Staff completed online training and paper-based learning booklets provided by the local NHS infection prevention and control team.” from the report
Cleaning and hygiene
Extra cleaning was carried out and recorded, including cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and deeper cleaning when needed.
“Additional cleaning of all areas including frequent touch surfaces was being carried out and recorded regularly by housekeeping staff.” from the report
Social and emotional support
Activities were adapted to smaller groups or individual sessions. Staff also helped people use technology to keep in touch with relatives.
“Staff supported people's social and emotional wellbeing. Meaningful activities were adapted and taking place in smaller groups or individually.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Are the visiting pod arrangements and PPE requirements still in place?
- 02How often are frequently touched surfaces cleaned and how are these checks recorded?
- 03How are staff trained and checked on the safe use of PPE?
- 04How are activities and video calls being provided now?
- 05When was the home last fully assessed in areas not covered by this targeted inspection?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control only; the service was inspected but not rated and the report did not assess the other areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 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, May 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care, but some evening staffing and record-keeping issues needed attention.
This was a comprehensive inspection on 3 and 6 April 2018. The first day was unannounced. Inspectors spoke with people living there, relatives, staff, managers and health professionals. They also checked care plans, medicines records, recruitment and training records, meetings and quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from harm, medicines were managed safely and staffing levels were sufficient overall. Staff were described as kind, respectful and familiar with people's needs.
There were some areas needing attention. People gave mixed views about evening staffing and activities. Inspectors also found gaps in some care plan details and staff supervision records, although action was taken during or after the inspection.
Safe care
Staff understood how to recognise and report abuse. Risk assessments, medicines systems and safety checks were in place.
“People were protected from the risk of abuse and harm.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives described staff as kind and caring. Inspectors saw positive interactions and found that privacy, dignity and independence were respected.
“Staff were kind and treated people with dignity and respect.” from the report
Person-centred care
Care plans included people's needs, preferences, likes and dislikes. Staff knew people well and supported individual choices.
“Care plans were person centred, reviewed and updated when people's needs changed.” from the report
Good health and food support
Staff contacted health professionals when people's needs changed. People were offered a choice of food, including specialist diets, and feedback about the food was very positive.
“People were provided with sufficient food and drink to maintain their health and wellbeing.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The manager and provider used audits, meetings, surveys and complaints to identify improvements and respond to feedback.
“The registered manager and provider monitored the quality of service provided to ensure that people received a safe and effective service which met their needs.” from the report
Evening staffing
needs fixingSome people and a staff member felt there were not enough staff in the evening, and one person said call bells could go unanswered. The manager agreed to discuss this and ensure senior carers were available to support staff.
“We could do with more staff, we only have two on an evening. You can sometimes ring and ring the buzzer and nobody comes” from the report
Care plan detail
needs fixingOne care plan did not initially explain fully how support should be provided. It was reviewed and updated during the inspection.
“One care plan we looked at lacked some details about how support was going to be provided.” from the report
Staff supervision records
needs fixingSome staff had not been supervised recently, and the supervision system did not clearly show when supervision was due. The report says missed supervisions were completed after the inspection and a new training matrix was introduced.
“We could see that there were gaps where some staff had not been supervised recently.” from the report
Activities
minorActivities were available, but people's experiences differed. One person felt there was not enough to do, and the manager said activities were still being developed and personalised.
“Sometimes I am bored to tears. There is not a lot to do.” from the report
- 01How many staff are usually available in the evening, and what happens if call bells are not answered promptly?
- 02How do you now check that every care plan explains clearly how each person's support should be provided?
- 03How often will staff receive supervision, and how do you make sure none are missed?
- 04What activities are available for someone with my relative's interests and abilities?
- 05How will you involve my relative and our family in reviewing their care and giving feedback?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five areas, and the Good ratings continued from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 31 May 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 Benkhill Lodge
3 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- May 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: Good
- February 2016GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 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.
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28 live-in carers within about an hour of North Yorkshire
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 £1,010 to £1,290 a week. 27 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“She was always 'just present enough': attentive, available, kind and engaging, but without ever over-stepping any boundary”
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