CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Berkeley Court
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, August 2022
Berkeley Court was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some staff training and communication materials needing improvement.
The inspection was unannounced. An inspector visited on 12 July 2022, an Expert by Experience contacted relatives on 15 July, and management records were reviewed remotely up to 18 July. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely, and staffing levels appeared sufficient.
Staff were described as kind and respectful. People received care based on their needs and preferences, relatives were involved, and activities were available. The home had systems for complaints, audits and learning from accidents and incidents.
Some first aid and moving and handling training needed updating. Menus were not yet available in a picture format for people living with dementia. The manager said action would be taken on both points. The previous rating, under the previous provider, was Requires Improvement.
People felt safe
People and relatives told inspectors they had no safety concerns. Staff understood safeguarding and knew how to respond to concerns.
“People we spoke with felt safe living at the home.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed staff engaging with people individually and treating them with kindness, dignity and respect.
“Throughout the home staff were engaging with people well and on an individual level.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's life histories, preferences and needs. Relatives said they were involved when care plans changed.
“People were supported by staff who knew them well and understood their needs.” from the report
Activities and family contact
People were offered activities and social contact, including music, singing, gardening and one-to-one conversation. Relatives were supported to stay in touch.
“Activities such as table tennis, listening to music, singing, growing plants and one to one conversation were all taking place during the inspection.” from the report
Good oversight
The home used audits and action plans to identify and address issues. Accidents and incidents were reviewed for patterns and learning.
“Actions were addressed in a timely way.” from the report
Some training needed updating
needs fixingA small proportion of staff training, including first aid and moving and handling, was out of date. The provider had an action plan and inspectors recommended action to ensure staff had the right skills.
“A small proportion of training required updating, such as first aid and moving and handling.” from the report
Menus were not dementia-friendly
minorMenus were not available in a picture format, which could have helped people living with dementia understand their choices. The manager said this would be addressed.
“However, menus were not available in a format to suit people living with dementia.” from the report
Limited information in some medicine protocols
minorProtocols for medicines given when needed did not always explain how a person would appear when they needed the medicine. The manager said these protocols were reviewed and updated after the inspection.
“However, these contained limited information and did not always record how people would present if they required this medicine.” from the report
- 01Has all first aid and moving and handling training now been updated, and how do you check that staff remain competent?
- 02Are picture menus now available for people living with dementia?
- 03Have the protocols for medicines given when needed been updated, and do they explain how each person shows they may need the medicine?
- 04How are relatives involved when a person's care plan changes?
- 05How do you use accident and incident reviews to reduce the risk of the same problems happening again?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; some management records were reviewed remotely and elements of five people's care records were checked. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 August 2022 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 Berkeley Court
4 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2022Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2021Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2020Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 May 2021.
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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Leeds
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 £980 to £1,250 a week. 89 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“Carla has been a god send with the implementation of bringing mum back home from respite care.”
“Took his time to learn about me read my care plan and to listen to me. great companionship with lots of laughing.”
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.