CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Berwood Court Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found safe medicines systems, monthly risk reviews, suitable recruitment checks and enough staff on duty during the visit.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found regular audits and improved quality monitoring. Relatives were positive about care and staff attitudes, but said telephone contact could be difficult and people and relatives were not always included in monthly reviews.
What inspectors found, October 2021
Berwood Court Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care, but communication and face-mask use needed attention.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 14 September 2021. Inspectors reviewed Safe and Well-led only. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff on duty during the visit, safe medicines systems, detailed risk assessments and suitable infection-control arrangements. They also found the home clean and free from clutter.
The rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection in December 2019. The home was no longer in breach of regulations at this inspection. However, inspectors noted that some staff did not always wear face masks correctly and relatives sometimes had difficulty contacting the home.
Safe medicines
Inspectors found no issues with medicine management. Records were regularly audited and no errors were identified.
“Medicines and medication administration reports (MARs) had been regularly audited and no errors identified.” from the report
Clean environment
The home was clean, tidy and free from clutter or unpleasant smells. Inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control arrangements.
“The home environment was very clean, no clutter and free from unpleasant odours.” from the report
Detailed risk planning
Risk assessments were clear, detailed and reviewed each month. Staff had guidance for specific needs, including tube care and preventing sore skin.
“The assessments we looked at were clear and detailed with guidance for staff to follow.” from the report
Kind staff
Inspectors saw staff offering support patiently and kindly. People and relatives gave positive feedback about staff attitudes and care.
“We observed staff offering support in a kind and patient manner.” from the report
Face masks not always worn correctly
needs fixingSome staff were not always wearing face masks over both their mouth and nose. The manager said staff had received extra supervision and checks after the inspection.
“On occasion we found some staff were not always wearing their face masks covering their mouth and nose.” from the report
Difficult telephone contact
needs fixingRelatives said calls to the home were sometimes unanswered or difficult to transfer, particularly at weekends. Management said it would review the telephone system.
“Phones often go unanswered.” from the report
Monthly reviews not always inclusive
minorPeople and relatives said they had not been consistently included in monthly reviews. The manager said relatives would be notified and offered the chance to take part.
“People and relatives we spoke with told us they had not been consistently included in their monthly reviews.” from the report
- 01What checks are now in place to make sure all staff wear face masks correctly?
- 02How quickly are telephone calls answered, especially at weekends?
- 03How will you make sure relatives are invited to take part in monthly care reviews?
- 04What changes were made after the previous inspection to improve safeguarding and incident reporting?
- 05What are the current ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive, which were not inspected during this visit?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive came from the previous comprehensive inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 October 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 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about the home's infection prevention and control arrangements.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 21 January 2021. It was carried out because of coronavirus outbreaks and focused on infection prevention and control.
Inspectors were assured that visitors were screened, people were admitted safely, PPE was used properly and testing was available. They were also assured that cleaning, hand washing, social distancing and outbreak arrangements were in place.
The home supported contact with family and others through video and telephone calls. Staff also used written communication to support a person with hearing loss, and created safer arrangements for staff breaks.
The home was inspected but not rated. This report does not provide a quality rating for the home or a rated judgement for the other four questions.
Visitor safety
Visitors were screened for Covid-19 symptoms before visits, in line with current guidance.
“On arrival at the home, visitors were screened for symptoms of Covid-19 to ensure their visit could take place safely and in line with current guidance.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that PPE, testing, cleaning and hand washing arrangements supported infection control.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Keeping people connected
The home supported people to stay in contact with important people through video and telephone calls, and maintained links with a local nursery school.
“People were supported to maintain contact with others who were important to them in a variety of ways including video and telephone calls.” from the report
Communication
Staff adapted communication for a person with hearing loss by writing things down.
“Staff wrote things down for one person who had a hearing impairment so they could understand what they were saying to them.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visitors currently screened for symptoms before entering the home?
- 02How do you currently provide PPE and testing for people living here and staff?
- 03What arrangements are in place now to prevent and manage infection outbreaks?
- 04How do staff support people with hearing impairments or other communication needs?
- 05How can residents currently keep in touch with family and other important people?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control practices during the coronavirus pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated and the wider quality of care was not assessed in detail. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 February 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.
Every inspection of Berwood Court Care Home
4 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- October 2021Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2019Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 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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