CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Briggs Lodge Residential and Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- Staffing levels were not always consistent, and people reported longer waits for call bells and the front door at some times. Inspectors also found missing guidance and some incomplete or conflicting safety records.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused inspection. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff knew people well, involved them in care reviews and recorded their life histories, preferences and wishes.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and activities had improved. People could have visitors, take part in activities, communicate in suitable formats and use a clearer complaints process.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People, relatives and staff said the manager was approachable and supportive. Audits, meetings and an improvement plan were used to monitor the home and address problems.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Rated Good overall, but inspectors found staffing and some safety records needed improvement.
This was an unannounced focused inspection over 30 and 31 March and 4 April 2023. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care records, medicines, staffing rotas, complaints, accidents, training and management checks.
The home was rated Good overall. Caring, Responsive and Well-led were rated Good. People were described as treated kindly and with dignity. Care plans were personalised, activities were available, and people and relatives could give their views.
Safe was rated Requires Improvement. There were times when there were not enough staff, especially at weekends and on one night when five staff worked instead of the assessed six. Call bells and the front door sometimes took longer to answer.
Inspectors also found gaps in guidance and record keeping. The manager took action during the inspection. The overall rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection, but Safe remained Requires Improvement.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff treating people with care, dignity and respect. Staff knocked before entering rooms and protected people's privacy during personal care.
“We observed staff interacting with people and supporting them in a dignified way.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans included people's histories, choices, communication needs, food preferences and end-of-life wishes. Relatives were involved in reviews where appropriate.
“People with and without dementia had information recorded about their lives including significant events.” from the report
Activities and visitors
People could have visitors at any time and had access to group and one-to-one activities. Inspectors saw evidence of varied activities taking place.
“Activities planned were varied and included both group and 1-1 opportunities.” from the report
Improved leadership
The leadership rating improved to Good. Staff described good teamwork, and the home used audits, meetings and an improvement plan to identify and monitor changes.
“Quality monitoring systems were in place to help identify improvements needed.” from the report
Staffing levels
seriousThere were times when staffing was below the home's assessed need. People reported longer waits for call bells, particularly at weekends, although inspectors saw no impact on people's safety during the visit.
“People told us at times there was not enough staff and weekends were difficult.” from the report
Missing care guidance
needs fixingTwo people did not have behaviour support guidance for staff to follow when they became distressed. The manager arranged for this guidance to be put in place during the inspection.
“People who experienced distress reactions did not always have guidance in place for staff to follow.” from the report
Incomplete safety records
needs fixingOne person's hourly checks were said to have taken place but were not recorded. Inspectors also found a conflicting accident record and one week of maintenance safety checks not recorded in the correct logs.
“Records did not demonstrate hourly checks had taken place.” from the report
Medicines supply
needs fixingThe pharmacy still had problems supplying some medicines. The home was using a local pharmacy and was considering changing pharmacies.
“At this inspection, whilst the pharmacy still had issues with some stock, staff were using a local pharmacy to make sure people had their medicines.” from the report
- 01How many staff are planned and actually working on each shift now, especially at weekends and overnight?
- 02How quickly are call bells usually answered, and can the home now monitor response times?
- 03What action has been taken to make sure people who become distressed have clear, personalised guidance for staff?
- 04How are hourly checks, accident records and building safety checks checked for completeness and accuracy?
- 05Has the pharmacy changed, and how does the home prevent delays in getting people's medicines?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe, Caring, Responsive and Well-led; Effective was not inspected, and ratings for uninspected areas carried over from the previous inspection when calculating the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 April 2023 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, March 2022
Briggs Lodge Residential and Nursing Home: targeted inspection found improvements, but the overall rating remained Requires Improvement and was not reassessed.
This was an unannounced targeted inspection on 4 February 2022. Inspectors checked whether the home had improved after a Warning Notice about its systems for monitoring care, managing incidents and checking quality. They spoke with people and staff, reviewed care records and incident records, and checked infection control arrangements.
Inspectors found that care monitoring records were now completed. Repositioning, food and fluid charts were being used and checked. Incidents had been recorded, investigated and reported where needed. The home was clean, staff used PPE safely, and COVID-19 testing and vaccination arrangements were in place.
The home was no longer in breach of Regulation 17. However, this was a limited inspection. The overall rating remained Requires Improvement, and Safe and Well-led were marked Inspected but not rated because the full questions were not reviewed.
Care records
Inspectors found that records showed the care and support provided. Charts for repositioning, food and fluids were completed consistently.
“People's monitoring records were completed in full documenting what care and support staff had provided.” from the report
Incident management
Incidents were recorded and investigated. The incidents reviewed had been reported to the local authority and CQC when required.
“At this inspection all the incidents we reviewed had been reported to the local authority and notified to CQC.” from the report
Infection control
The home was clean, staff used PPE safely, and arrangements were in place for testing, vaccination and visits.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Management support
A new manager was supported by the provider and quality teams to complete the improvement plan.
“The registered manager had been supported by the provider to make improvements needed.” from the report
Limited inspection
needs fixingThe inspection did not reassess the whole service. Important areas such as Effective, Caring and Responsive were not rated.
“Targeted inspections do not change the rating from the previous inspection.” from the report
Previous rating remains
needs fixingThe home still carried an overall Requires Improvement rating because this inspection was only a follow-up check.
“The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains requires improvement.” from the report
- 01What is the home's current overall CQC rating after the next comprehensive inspection?
- 02How do nursing staff check daily that food and fluid charts are complete and that people meet their fluid targets?
- 03How are repositioning charts checked, and what action is taken if a required repositioning is missed?
- 04How does the provider make sure incidents are reported to the local authority and CQC without delay?
- 05What changes have been made since the previous inspection, and how are managers checking that these improvements continue?
This was a targeted inspection of improvements linked to Regulation 17 and infection control; the full Safe and Well-led questions and the Effective, Caring and Responsive questions were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 March 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.
Every inspection of Briggs Lodge Residential and Nursing Home
4 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- April 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Briggs Lodge Residential and Nursing Home →
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not ratedWell-led: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Briggs Lodge Residential and Nursing Home →
- October 2021Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2020Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementResponsive: Inspected but not ratedWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2020Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- April 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 11 April 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about two hours of Wiltshire
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 £1,020 to £1,340 a week. 82 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Linet became her carer and all changed, my daughter started eating, taking her medications and more important her happiness came back.”
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
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.