CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Bridge House Residential Home
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, November 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and effective management, but an updated legionella risk assessment was still required.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 5 and 20 October 2022. Inspectors looked mainly at whether people were safe and whether the home was well-led. They spoke with 10 people, two visitors and seven staff, and reviewed medicines, care plans, safety, infection control and recruitment records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. People and visitors spoke positively about the care. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines management, suitable recruitment checks, infection control measures and systems for checking care and safety. People were seen being treated respectfully and supported to make choices.
An updated legionella risk assessment was still required, although a date had been set for this. The overall rating remained Good, the same as at the previous inspection in December 2019. The other three areas were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were used in calculating the overall rating.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe and that staff responded when they needed help.
“All the people we spoke with said that they felt safe living at Bridge House and staff attended to their needs when they needed them to.” from the report
Staffing and recruitment
Inspectors found enough staff and appropriate checks had been completed when new staff were appointed.
“A review of rotas showed sufficient numbers of staff were available.” from the report
Safe medicines
Prescribed medicines, including controlled drugs, were managed safely, with training and regular checks in place.
“People's prescribed medicines, including controlled drugs, were managed safely.” from the report
Listening to people
The home asked people for their views and acted on suggestions about activities, food and daily life.
“We saw where these suggestions had been acted upon.” from the report
Legionella assessment
needs fixingAn updated legionella risk assessment was required. The manager had confirmed a date for this to be completed and shared with CQC and the local authority.
“An updated legionella risk assessment was required. The registered manager confirmed a date for this to be carried out.” from the report
- 01Has the updated legionella risk assessment been completed, and what actions did it identify?
- 02What improvements to the environment and staff training remain in the current action plan?
- 03How do you check that staffing levels remain sufficient on every shift?
- 04How are people and relatives' suggestions about activities, menus and trips followed up?
- 05What infection control arrangements would be used if there were an outbreak?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings carried over from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 November 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, February 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control arrangements were effective.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 3 February 2021. It looked only at infection prevention and control because the home had been identified as a designated setting for people leaving hospital with positive COVID-19.
Inspectors found good arrangements for admitting people safely, isolating them, using protective equipment, testing, cleaning and managing visitors. They were also assured that the infection control policy was up to date.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not give an overall quality rating or full ratings for all five areas of care.
Separate isolation unit
The home had created a separate unit for people needing isolation after hospital discharge or receiving end of life care while COVID-19 positive.
“The home had developed a designated unit to support up to seven people.” from the report
Protective equipment and training
Staff had access to the protective equipment they needed and had training in infection control and its safe use.
“Staff had access to all necessary personal protective equipment (PPE) and had completed relevant training in infection control procedures and the donning and doffing of PPE.” from the report
Safe admissions
Admission arrangements had been agreed with the hospital discharge team to support safe transfers into the home.
“In partnership with the hospital discharge team, admission arrangements had been agreed so people were transferred safely between services.” from the report
Family contact arrangements
Visiting arrangements were reviewed in line with guidance, with alternatives available to help people stay in touch with family and friends.
“Alternative arrangements were available for people to maintain contact with family and friends.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Is the separate designated unit still being used, and who can be admitted to it now?
- 02How are staff trained and checked on the safe use of personal protective equipment?
- 03What testing and infection control arrangements are currently in place for residents, staff and visitors?
- 04How can relatives keep in contact with residents if normal visiting is restricted?
- 05What are the current arrangements for people admitted from hospital?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control only; the service was inspected but not rated and the other care questions were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 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 Bridge House Residential Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Bridge House Residential Home →
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Bridge House Residential Home →
- January 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2019GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 February 2019.
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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