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CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Cedar Road

Goodpublished 2 June 2022, 4 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Requires improvement
Inspectors found unclear instructions for some PRN medicines, poor cleaning of some toilet brushes, food without opening dates and pressure caused by staff vacancies.
Effective?
Good
People's needs were assessed and staff had suitable training and supervision. Staff worked with health professionals and supported people to make choices and become more independent.
Caring?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. The report says people were treated with kindness and compassion, but no current rating was given here.
Responsive?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. No current rating was given here.
Well-led?
Good
People, relatives and staff expressed confidence in the management. Audits, staff checks and feedback systems were in place, although some audits did not identify every concern.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, June 2022

Cedar Road is rated Good overall, but inspectors found safety weaknesses with medicines, staffing and infection control.

This was an unannounced focused inspection on 06 April 2022. Two inspectors spoke with people, a relative, staff and professionals. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files, complaints and management records.

The overall rating was Good. Safe was rated Requires Improvement because PRN medicines records were not always clear, infection control was not always hygienic, food was not always labelled properly, and staff vacancies placed pressure on the team.

Effective and well-led were rated Good. Inspectors found kind, person-centred care, good support for independence, suitable staff training and positive views about the management. Caring and Responsive were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were used when calculating the overall rating.

What inspectors praised
  • Person-centred care

    Staff knew people's needs and preferences. Care plans supported activities people enjoyed and encouraged independence.

    “The staff and registered manager demonstrated a person-centred approach for the people they supported.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful support

    People were listened to, involved in decisions and supported with privacy and dignity.

    “People were treated with kindness and compassion. People felt well-supported.” from the report
  • Risk planning

    Care plans and risk assessments identified individual needs. Staff updated them when people's needs changed and worked with professionals to reduce risks.

    “Risk assessments identified people's individual support needs and ways to help people stay safe.” from the report
  • Staff training

    Staff received induction, specialist training and supervision. Their competency was checked for areas such as hoist use and medicines.

    “The registered manager ensured staff had support to develop their skills through a flexible and robust approach to training.” from the report
  • Support for independence

    The home had adapted facilities, including a training kitchen, to help people develop practical skills and prepare for more independent living.

    “This is great because I can make my own drinks and feel good about myself.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • PRN medicines

    serious

    Instructions for medicines taken when needed were not always clear or consistent. The manager said the protocols would be reviewed.

    “However, protocols in place to ensure staff took a consistent approach when supporting people with these medicines were not always clear.” from the report
  • Infection control

    needs fixing

    Some toilet brushes had soiled matter in their drip trays and had not been cleaned or replaced. Used lateral flow devices were also found in a communal area, although they were removed.

    “Toilet brushes in people's bathroom's had soiled matter in the drip tray and this had not been cleaned or replaced.” from the report
  • Staff vacancies

    needs fixing

    Inspectors found enough staff during the visit, but vacancies meant there was less cover for sickness and leave. Staff described feeling tired and demoralised because of overtime.

    “Several staff told us that they felt, 'demoralised and tired' due to the fact that the home did not have a full complement of staff on the rota.” from the report
  • Food supplies

    minor

    Inspectors found very little food in the fridge and no fresh fruit or vegetables at the time of the visit. Staff said fresh produce was regularly lacking.

    “We saw no fresh fruit or vegetables. The registered manager told us that this was due to the fact that shopping had not happened that day.” from the report
  • Food labelling

    needs fixing

    Opened food items were not always labelled with the date they were opened, so people and staff could not be sure they were safe to eat.

    “There were opened food items in the fridge were not always clearly labelled with dates of opening.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What has changed to make PRN medicine instructions clear, consistent and properly checked?
  2. 02How many staff vacancies are there now, and how will the home cover sickness, leave and other absences?
  3. 03What checks are now in place to ensure bathrooms are cleaned properly and clinical waste is removed safely?
  4. 04How often are fresh fruit and vegetables bought, and how does the home check that opened food is labelled and safe?
  5. 05Which ratings for Caring and Responsive were carried over from the previous inspection, and when will these areas next be reviewed?

This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led only; Caring and Responsive were not inspected and the previous ratings were used to calculate the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 June 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, February 2018

Cedar Road was rated Good and remained Good; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support across all five areas.

This was a comprehensive, unannounced inspection on 5 December 2017. One inspector spoke with three people living at the home, three care staff, the registered manager and a health care professional. The inspector also reviewed three care records, staff recruitment and training records, medicines information and quality checks.

People said they felt safe and comfortable with staff they knew. Staff understood safeguarding, health risks and medicines. Inspectors found that care was based on people's needs, staff received training and supervision, and people were supported with health appointments, food and healthy choices.

Inspectors found kind and respectful care. People were involved in planning their support, setting goals and choosing activities. Staff respected privacy, encouraged independence and used suitable ways to communicate with people.

The home was rated Good in Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. It had also been rated Good in each area at the previous inspection in September 2016.

What inspectors praised
  • People felt safe

    People said they felt safe and secure with familiar staff. Inspectors also saw staff supporting people to move around safely.

    “People felt safe and secure around staff they knew and were familiar with.” from the report
  • Respectful, personal care

    Staff adapted communication to each person and respected privacy, personal boundaries and choices.

    “People were supported by staff that understood how people needed to express themselves.” from the report
  • Support for independence

    People were encouraged to build independence and work towards goals, with risks reviewed as their abilities changed.

    “At each stage the risks to the person were documented and updated based on how the person's journey for independence was progressing.” from the report
  • Good oversight

    The management team carried out checks on care, medicines, the building and staff performance. They also reviewed accidents and incidents for learning.

    “Regular checks were made of the building, people's care, people's medicines as well as staff performance.” 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 will you assess and update the risks linked to my relative’s health and their plans for greater independence?
  2. 02How often will staff supporting my relative with medicines have their competency checked?
  3. 03How will my relative’s care goals, preferences and communication needs be recorded and reviewed?
  4. 04What activities and interests could my relative take part in, and how would you support them to continue these?
  5. 05How would you record and respond to any complaint or concern raised by my relative or our family?

This was a comprehensive inspection of the service, including the care home and the care provided there; the report also says the service provides a domiciliary care agency for younger disabled adults. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 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 Cedar Road

3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. June 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Cedar Road →

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

    Read what inspectors found at Cedar Road →

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

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. August 2014

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 August 2014.

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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