CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Birling House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, August 2017
Rated Good in every area; inspectors found safe, caring and well-managed support, and the rating had remained unchanged.
Inspectors visited the home without notice on 11 July 2017. They spoke with people living there, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They also observed care and checked care records, staff files, medicines, audits and rotas.
They found enough staff, safe medicines arrangements and personalised care plans. Staff were trained, knew people's needs and supported people with their health, food, choices and daily activities.
Inspectors saw kind and respectful care. People could choose how to spend their time, keep in touch with family and raise concerns. The management team asked for feedback, checked the service regularly and made improvements when needed.
The home was rated Good for safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care. It was also rated Good in all areas at the previous inspection on 3 June 2015.
Personalised care
Each person had a current care plan explaining their needs, preferences and how staff should support them. Plans were reviewed regularly and updated when needs changed.
“Each person had an up to date, personalised support plan, which set out how their care and support needs should be met by staff.” from the report
Safe medicines
Inspectors found that medicines were stored and given safely. Records were complete, refused medicines were recorded and stock matched the records checked.
“Medication administration records (MAR) for people were fully completed.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff showed kindness and compassion. They protected people's privacy and dignity during personal care and asked permission before entering bedrooms.
“Staff showed kindness and compassion towards people they cared for.” from the report
Choice and independence
People could choose where to spend their time and were supported to take part in activities, maintain family relationships and access the community.
“People had free movement around the service and could choose where to sit and spend their recreational time.” from the report
Open management
People and staff could approach managers with concerns or suggestions. Regular meetings, feedback and audits were used to identify and track improvements.
“The registered manager continued to promote an open culture where people, relatives and staff were able to approach management with their contributions which will move the service forward.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you make sure my relative's care plan is updated promptly if their health or needs change?
- 02What staffing levels are usually in place at night, and how are they adjusted when people's needs change?
- 03How will you involve me and my relative in decisions about care, medicines and health appointments?
- 04How can my relative raise a complaint, and how will we be told what action has been taken?
- 05What improvements have resulted from recent meetings, feedback questionnaires and audits?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the previous Good ratings from 3 June 2015 remained unchanged. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 August 2017 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 Birling House
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2017Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 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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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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 £1,260 a week. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Always on time and with a lovely smile for my mum. Theresa is kind and sensitive to my mum's needs.”
“Irene was a very kind and empathetic carer who knew just the right words to say to put a smile on my face.”
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.