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CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Camellots Care Home

Requires improvementpublished 9 March 2023, 3 years ago

Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Requires improvement
Some sensory assessments and general risk assessments were out of date. Fire doors had been wedged open, and PRN medicine guidance and medicine plans were not always complete or current.
Effective?
Requires improvement
People received healthcare and staff had relevant training, but some support plans lacked practical skills teaching and people were not always supported to take part in cooking, shopping and other activities.
Caring?
Good
This question was not inspected during this visit. Inspectors reported that people and relatives described the care as kind and compassionate.
Responsive?
Good
This question was not inspected during this visit. The report does not give a current rating for Responsive.
Well-led?
Requires improvement
Quality and risk monitoring systems did not reliably identify problems with fire safety, medicines, maintenance or person-centred support. This resulted in a breach of Regulation 17.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, March 2023

Camellots Care Home was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care but risks, medicines records and quality checks were not always managed well.

This was an unannounced inspection over two days. One inspector spoke with staff, relatives and visiting health professionals, observed care and checked records, medicines, staffing, infection control and the home’s systems.

People were generally safe, treated kindly and supported by staff who knew them well. Staff helped people access healthcare, managed incidents appropriately and supported people with medicines in line with their wishes.

However, some risks had not been reviewed properly. Fire doors had been wedged open, some medicines information was out of date, and people did not always have enough opportunities to build independence through everyday activities.

The overall rating changed from Good at the previous inspection, published in 2017, to Requires Improvement. The home was rated Requires Improvement for Safe, Effective and Well-led. Caring and Responsive were not inspected during this visit.

What inspectors praised
  • Kind staff

    People and relatives said staff were kind and compassionate. Inspectors saw relaxed interactions and staff who had time to support and talk with people.

    “People and their relatives told us they received kind and compassionate care.” from the report
  • Staffing and safeguarding

    There were enough staff to meet people’s needs. Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse, and relatives said their loved ones felt safe.

    “There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs. We observed staff were prompt in supporting people who needed assistance.” from the report
  • Health support

    People were supported to attend healthcare appointments and staff had training for specific health needs. Health professionals were involved in people’s care.

    “People were supported to access the health care services they needed.” from the report
  • Medicine administration

    Although medicine records had weaknesses, inspectors observed medicines being given carefully by trained staff who understood people’s needs and preferences.

    “The staff member was knowledgeable about the medicines they were administering and demonstrated an understanding of the person's needs and preferences.” from the report
  • Infection control

    Inspectors were assured that the home had suitable infection prevention and control arrangements, including safe visiting and use of protective equipment.

    “We were assured that the provider was responding effectively to risks and signs of infection.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Fire safety checks

    serious

    Fire doors had been wedged open, so they would not automatically close during a fire. The provider arranged automatic closures after inspectors raised the issue.

    “We found fire doors wedged open, this would mean they would not automatically close in the event of fire.” from the report
  • Medicine records

    serious

    PRN medicine instructions were missing before the inspection, and medicine plans were mostly out of date. The provider corrected these issues after inspectors raised them, but people had been at risk of harm.

    “People could not always be assured they received their medicines safely in accordance with the prescriber's instructions.” from the report
  • Risk assessments

    needs fixing

    Some sensory and general risk assessments had not been reviewed when people’s needs changed or for more than a year.

    “General risk assessments were in place; however, some had not been reviewed for over a year.” from the report
  • Independence and daily life

    needs fixing

    Staff often completed cooking, cleaning and laundry rather than helping people take part. This limited opportunities for people to build skills and confidence.

    “Staff mostly carried out tasks rather than engaged people and encouraged independence” from the report
  • Quality monitoring

    serious

    The provider’s checks did not identify several safety, maintenance and medicines problems. CQC found this placed people at risk of harm and recorded a breach.

    “The provider had failed to establish adequate systems and processes to assess and improve the quality and safety of the service provided” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What actions have you completed to make sure fire doors cannot be wedged open, and how are fire safety checks now recorded?
  2. 02How do you check that PRN instructions and medicine plans are complete, current and shared with staff?
  3. 03How often are people’s sensory assessments and general risk assessments reviewed after their needs change?
  4. 04How will staff help each person take part in cooking, shopping, cleaning or other activities that build independence?
  5. 05What progress has been made on the action plan requested by CQC, and can we see how improvements are being monitored?

This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led; Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their previous ratings were used in calculating the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 March 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, February 2018

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with effective management.

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 25 October 2017. One inspector observed care, spoke with people and staff, and checked care records, medicines records, staff files, rotas, training records and management records.

The home supported up to eight people with learning disabilities and/or mental health and physical needs. Inspectors found that risks were managed, staffing was sufficient, medicines were handled safely and staff had suitable training.

People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Care plans were written in an accessible way, people were involved in decisions, and activities and support were adapted to their interests and abilities.

All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The home was rated Good at its previous inspection and remained Good.

What inspectors praised
  • Safe staffing and risk management

    Inspectors found enough suitable staff on duty and saw that risks such as health needs, mobility and emergency evacuation had been assessed.

    “There were sufficient numbers of suitable staff on duty to keep people safe and meet their needs.” from the report
  • Kind relationships

    Staff knew people well and respected their choices, privacy and daily routines.

    “Throughout the inspection, we observed patient, kind and humorous interactions between people and staff.” from the report
  • Personalised communication

    Care plans were accessible and included communication passports, preferences, important relationships and day and night-time needs.

    “Care plans were written in an accessible format and, where they were able, people signed their care plans to show their agreement.” from the report
  • Support for independence

    People helped plan activities and some were supported to travel, shop or go out independently.

    “Whilst people were supported by staff to ensure their care needs were met, people were encouraged to be as independent as possible.” from the report
  • Effective oversight

    The home used audits and feedback to monitor areas such as medicines, consent, health and safety, food hygiene and infection control.

    “A range of systems had been put in place to monitor and develop the service and these were effective in driving continuous improvement.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How do you make sure staffing remains sufficient at weekends, when staffing levels are lower?
  2. 02What is the current position of the two liberty safeguard applications that were awaiting a decision at the inspection?
  3. 03How will you involve my relative in reviewing their care plan and communicating their choices?
  4. 04What activities, outings and opportunities for independence would be available for my relative?
  5. 05How would you respond if my relative or our family wanted to raise a concern or make a complaint?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five areas: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 February 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Camellots Care Home

3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.

  1. March 2023Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from Good
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read what inspectors found at Camellots Care Home →

  2. February 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Camellots Care Home →

  3. October 2015Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. September 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. February 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. January 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. December 2010

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 30 December 2010.

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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