CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Buchanan Court
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found robust safeguarding arrangements, regular risk reviews, safe recruitment and safe medicines systems. They were also assured about infection prevention and control.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not assessed in this focused inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not assessed in this focused inspection.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not assessed in this focused inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found open leadership, regular involvement of people and relatives, effective audits and good partnership working. Management changes were discussed and a registration application had been submitted after the inspection.
What inspectors found, December 2021
Buchanan Court rated Good; inspectors found people safe and the home well-led, with management changes still being completed.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 16 November 2021. Inspectors spoke with 11 people, one relative, four staff members and one visiting professional. They also checked care, medicines, risk and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found systems to protect people from abuse, manage risks, recruit staff and give medicines safely. Infection control arrangements were also found to be effective.
People described positive experiences. Inspectors found person-centred care, regular involvement of people and relatives, and effective work with outside professionals. Audits and meetings were used to identify and address problems.
The home did not have a CQC-registered manager at the time of the inspection. A manager had been appointed and an application for registration was submitted after the inspection. The overall Good rating was unchanged from the previous inspection.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe. Staff had safeguarding training and knew how to report concerns.
“People who used the service told us that they felt safe at Buchanan Court.” from the report
Risks were monitored
Risk assessments were updated when people's needs changed. The home also monitored pressure ulcer risks and followed up concerns.
“Risk assessments contained clear details of the risk being assessed.” from the report
Medicines were managed safely
Staff were trained and checked as competent. Inspectors saw medicines being given carefully and found records showed people received medicines as prescribed.
“Medicines administration records showed that people received their medicines as prescribed.” from the report
Strong quality checks
The home used audits, meetings and reviews to identify problems and track whether action was taken.
“We found the system to be robust, detailed and effective.” from the report
People had a voice
People could raise concerns through meetings, care reviews, ward rounds and a resident ambassador.
“People who used the service told us they felt empowered to raise issues with the manager and provider.” from the report
Good partnership working
The home worked with outside professionals, including physiotherapists supporting mobility and discharge planning.
“Buchanan Court continued to work closely with external professionals, in particular for the provision of reablement beds.” from the report
Manager registration was not complete
needs fixingThere was no CQC-registered manager at the inspection. A manager had been appointed, and the application was submitted after the visit.
“The service did not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission.” from the report
Recent management changes
minorThere had been several management changes since the previous registered manager left. Families may want to check whether leadership has since become stable.
“There had been a number of management changes since the last registered manager left in July 2020.” from the report
- 01Has the manager's application to become registered with the CQC been completed?
- 02Who is responsible for the home now, and has the management team remained stable?
- 03How many staff are on duty overnight on each floor?
- 04How would staff respond if my relative fell or needed urgent help at night?
- 05How are risk assessments updated if my relative's mobility or health changes?
This was a planned focused inspection of Safe and Well-led, including infection prevention and control; it did not assess the other three CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 December 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, April 2021
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, personalised care, but noted uncertainty about staffing and manager registration.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 11 March 2021. Inspectors looked at Safe, Responsive and Well-led. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and care professionals, and checked care records, medicines, recruitment records, policies and audits.
The inspection followed concerns about safeguarding, people's safety and how the home was managed. Inspectors found people were safe, medicines were managed properly, infection control measures were in place and there were enough staff according to the home's staffing review. They also found personalised care, activities, complaint handling and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall, with Good ratings for Safe, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as the previous inspection in November 2019. The Effective and Caring areas were not inspected during this visit, so their earlier ratings were carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
Safe medicines
People received their medicines as prescribed. Inspectors found no unexplained gaps in the medicine records they checked, and medicines were stored safely.
“Medicines administration records (MAR) examined had no unexplained gaps.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans reflected people's needs and staff understood how to support them. Inspectors also found appropriate support for diabetes and pressure area care.
“People received personalised care and support. Their care needs had been assessed and appropriate care plans prepared.” from the report
Activities and inclusion
People could take part in activities such as gardening, arts and crafts, games, walks and indoor exercises. Their cultural, religious and communication needs were also considered.
“People had access to activities which were beneficial and meaningful for them.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The home used regular daily, weekly and monthly checks. Audit results were discussed with staff so action could be taken.
“The service had a quality assurance system. Checks were carried out daily and weekly in areas such as medicine stocks, maintenance of the building and the hot water system.” from the report
Manager registration
needs fixingThe home did not have a manager registered with the CQC at the time of the inspection. The current manager was applying for registration.
“The service does not have a manager registered with the Care Quality Commission.” from the report
Staffing confidence
needs fixingTwo people were unsure whether there were enough staff. The manager said staffing was adequate and agreed to review staffing levels with people and staff.
“Two people told us that they were unsure if the home had sufficient staff.” from the report
Management stability
minorOne care professional said there had been several management changes and that stable management would be helpful.
“One professional stated that there had been several changes of managers and it would be good if there was stable management.” from the report
- 01Has the manager now completed CQC registration, and who is responsible for the home while this is being completed?
- 02How have staffing levels been reviewed since the inspection, and how do you check that people feel their needs are attended to promptly?
- 03What steps have been taken to provide stable management after the changes mentioned in the report?
- 04How will you show that personalised care plans, including diabetes and pressure area care, are reviewed and followed?
- 05How are relatives able to raise concerns and receive updates about changes in the home?
This was a focused inspection of Safe, Responsive and Well-led; Effective and Caring were not inspected and their previous ratings were carried forward. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 April 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 Buchanan Court
4 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- December 2021Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2021Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2018Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 November 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.
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