CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Birchmere House
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection-control arrangements and were assured about visiting, testing and staffing measures.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 24 January 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and the effect of COVID-19 staffing pressures.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using PPE safely, supporting testing, managing visits and preventing or managing infection outbreaks. They also found the infection-control policy was up to date.
The home had automatic doors in busy areas and could limit movement between its three floors if there was an outbreak. The inspection did not give a quality rating, so it does not provide a full assessment of the home.
PPE use
Inspectors found that staff were following PPE guidance, with no issues identified about its use.
“All staff complied with personal protective equipment (PPE) guidance with no identified issues related to its usage.” from the report
Safer shared areas
Automatic doors in busy areas reduced the need to touch door surfaces.
“Automatic doors had been installed in high flow areas to remove the need to touch door areas in order to pass through.” from the report
Outbreak planning
The home's three floors could help reduce unnecessary movement between areas if an outbreak occurred.
“The 3 separate floors allow the service to reduce unnecessary movement onto each floor and can be used as an effective control measure if an outbreak occurred.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you currently managing any staffing pressures linked to COVID-19 or other absences?
- 02How would you manage an infection outbreak, including movement between the three floors?
- 03How can relatives visit, and what rules would apply if there were an outbreak?
- 04How do you make sure staff and visiting professionals meet the COVID-19 vaccination requirements or have a valid exemption?
- 05How often are residents and staff tested, and what happens when a test is positive?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19 staffing pressures; it did not provide a full quality rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 February 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.
What inspectors found, April 2018
Birchmere House was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with one handover gap about a choking risk.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 16 January 2018. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff. They observed care and lunchtime, reviewed eight care records and checked staff and quality records.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. People said they felt safe and received kind care. Inspectors found enough staff, suitable training, safe medicines systems, personalised care plans and effective checks on quality.
The home had improved since earlier inspections, when some areas were rated Requires Improvement. Risk assessments, care records, staff training, staffing arrangements and management systems had improved. Inspectors found the previous breach of good governance had been resolved.
There was one handover issue. Information about one person's choking risk was not passed to the nurse coming on duty. The manager took immediate action after inspectors raised this.
Safe staffing and risk planning
People said there were enough staff, and inspectors found that risks were recorded, reviewed and managed. Agency use had also been significantly reduced.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs in a timely way.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People described the home as warm and friendly. Inspectors saw people being treated with dignity and supported according to their wishes.
“The atmosphere at Birchmere House was warm and friendly.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's histories, routines, preferences and communication needs. Staff knew people well and adapted support to them.
“People received care that was responsive to their needs and personalised to their preferences.” from the report
Improved management systems
The home had acted on the previous inspection findings. Care plans and risk assessments had been reviewed, and quality checks were being used to identify improvements.
“During this inspection we checked and found the required improvements had been made and this meant they were no longer in breach of the regulation.” from the report
Important risk not handed over
seriousInformation about one person's choking risk was not passed to the nurse taking over their care. The manager acted immediately when inspectors raised this, but families should ask how this is now prevented.
“One person was at risk of choking and this information was not passed onto the nurse who was responsible for the persons care when they came on duty.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure choking risks and other urgent care information are handed over to every nurse and care worker?
- 02How many staff are normally on duty on each floor, including at night?
- 03How much agency staff do you use now, and how do you make sure people receive consistent care from familiar staff?
- 04How often are care plans and risk assessments reviewed when a person's needs change?
- 05How are residents and relatives involved in reviewing care and suggesting improvements?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, and it also checked whether improvements from the previous inspection had been completed. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 April 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 Birchmere House
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- April 2018GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 March 2017.
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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
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What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Solihull
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. 78 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
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.