CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Bernadette House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People received their prescribed medicines from trained staff, risks were identified and infection prevention arrangements were in place. Staff recruitment checks and safeguarding training were also found to be in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and reviewed, staff received training, and people were supported with food, healthcare and end-of-life planning. This rating improved from Requires Improvement at the last inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- No rating is given for Caring in this report.
- Responsive?
- Good
- No rating is given for Responsive in this report.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had regular audits, recorded actions when shortfalls were found and increased medicine checks after the inspection. Staff and relatives spoke positively about the management team.
What inspectors found, May 2021
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, effective and well-led care, with staffing deployment still being reviewed.
The inspection visit took place on 12 May 2021. One inspector spoke with people, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They also checked care records, medicine records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective and Well-led were each rated Good. Inspectors found trained staff, safe medicine arrangements, infection controls, care plans and support from healthcare professionals.
Effective improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection to Good. Inspectors also found that the manager had increased medicine checks and that the home acted on feedback and identified areas for improvement.
Kind and timely support
Inspectors saw staff supporting people in a kind and timely way. People and relatives also said they felt safe.
“We observed staff supporting people in a kind and timely way.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were given by trained and competent staff. Each person had information about allergies, preferences and the support they needed.
“Medicines were administered by trained and competent staff.” from the report
Improved care planning
The new electronic care planning system helped staff review records and complete notes in real time. Inspectors found that decisions about shared rooms were now recorded.
“This supported staff's ability to consistently review people care records and complete their care notes in real time” from the report
Good management oversight
Audits identified areas for improvement and actions were taken. The manager was open to feedback and increased medicine checks after the inspection.
“There was an effective quality assurance system in place where audits were completed on a regular basis.” from the report
Staff deployment
needs fixingStaff gave mixed feedback about staffing levels. Records and observations showed enough staff to meet people's needs, but the provider agreed to review how staff were deployed.
“We received mixed feedback from staff regarding staffing levels.” from the report
- 01What did the review of staffing deployment find, and what changes were made afterwards?
- 02How often are medicine checks now completed, and what happens if a problem is found?
- 03How will you make sure my relative's care plan is reviewed and updated as their needs change?
- 04How are families involved in decisions about shared rooms, consent and best interests?
- 05How do you support regular contact between residents and their relatives?
This inspection rated Safe, Effective and Well-led only; Caring and Responsive were not given ratings in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 May 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, November 2018
Bernadette House was rated Good overall, but inspectors found care records and some staff training needed improvement.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 1 October 2018. They observed care, spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care records, medicine records, recruitment files and quality checks. There were 31 people living in the home.
The home was rated Good for safety, caring, responsiveness and leadership. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, kind care, activities that reflected people's interests, and improvements in how the home was managed.
The Effective rating was Requires Improvement. Some records did not clearly show people's wishes or how decisions had been agreed, particularly for four people sharing rooms. Some staff were also behind with update training, although an action plan was in place.
The overall rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection on 3 March 2017. Inspectors said improvements had been made to safety and leadership.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Staffing was reviewed daily, and the home had bank staff and agency arrangements to help cover absences.
“There were sufficient staff available and deployed in ways which helped to keep people safe and meet their care and support needs.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely. Senior staff were trained to give medicines, and regular checks and audits were carried out.
“We found that the arrangements for the storage, administration and disposal of people's medicines were in line with good practice and national guidance.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff were seen speaking calmly and respectfully with people. They supported privacy, dignity, independence and personal choices.
“Throughout our inspection we noted staff ensured people were treated with kindness and that they were given emotional support when needed.” from the report
Activities and personal interests
People were supported to take part in activities suited to their interests, including outings, exercise, music and reminiscence. People were involved in choosing what they wanted to do.
“There was a clear system in place for the provision of stimulating activities that people could take part in.” from the report
Improved leadership
The home had acted on problems found at the previous inspection. Managers used meetings, audits and feedback to monitor the service and make changes.
“At this inspection we found improvements had been made.” from the report
Care records did not always explain decisions
needs fixingRecords for four people sharing rooms did not give enough information about how the decision had been made or how possible effects on another person's wellbeing would be reduced. The manager said this would be reviewed immediately.
“However, peoples care records did not always clearly confirm all of their individual wishes and how decisions about their care had been agreed.” from the report
Some training was overdue
needs fixingThe training review showed that some staff were behind with update training, including person-centred training. An action plan was being used to address this.
“The registered manager had developed a new training matrix which had identified that some staff were behind with their update training plan.” from the report
Inappropriate language
minorInspectors heard one example of inappropriate language from staff when talking about people. They said it did not directly affect people and was not malicious, but the manager agreed it needed addressing.
“During our inspection visit we observed one example of inappropriate language being used by staff when they spoke with us about people.” from the report
- 01Have all care records been updated to show each person's wishes and how decisions about shared rooms were agreed?
- 02What arrangements are now in place to reduce any negative effect of shared rooms on people's health and wellbeing?
- 03Have all staff completed the update training that was overdue, including person-centred training?
- 04How do you check that staff use respectful language when talking about people?
- 05How do you make sure medicine storage areas and infection control arrangements remain safe?
This was an unannounced inspection of the care home and the care provided, covering all five CQC questions; the agency's home-care service had no people using it at the time. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 November 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 Bernadette House
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- May 2021Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- April 2017Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 16 July 2015.
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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9 live-in carers within about an hour of Lincolnshire
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.
8 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Martin was more than a carer, he managed the home and became my uncle's best friend, enriching his life during his last few years.”
“Magda was always positive and proactive about trying new things to keep dad busy. She also introduced new ideas for keeping dad healthy.”
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.