CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Chepstow House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, May 2022
Chepstow House was rated Good; inspectors found safe, personalised care, but refurbishment and some recording still needed attention.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 17 March 2022. Inspectors looked at Safe, Effective and Well-led because concerns had been raised about care needs, outcomes and management oversight. They spoke with one person, one relative, eight staff and a social care professional, and checked care, medicine, recruitment, training, incident and management records.
The home had a stable staff team who knew people well. Risks were assessed, medicines were given by trained staff, people were supported with food, drink and healthcare, and staff understood their individual needs and preferences. Inspectors also found a positive culture, regular checks and good support from managers.
Some refurbishment was still unfinished. The manager also said that a person's decision not to take part in activities had not always been recorded, although action had been taken. The overall rating remained Good, as the other two key questions were not inspected and their previous ratings were used in the overall calculation.
Staff know people well
The stable staff team understood people's risks, routines, communication and preferences. This helped provide consistent support.
“People were supported by a well-established staff team that knew them well and how to keep them safe.” from the report
Personalised support
Care and support were tailored to people's needs, including their communication, health, eating, drinking and activities.
“People's care and support was personalised and tailored to meet their needs.” from the report
Good management oversight
The home used audits, staff meetings and incident reviews to check the quality of care and identify improvements.
“A variety of audits and monitoring systems were in place to maintain oversight of the service and to further drive through improvements.” from the report
Support with health and nutrition
Staff monitored eating and drinking, offered alternatives at mealtimes and sought healthcare advice when needed.
“People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet.” from the report
Refurbishment was unfinished
needs fixingSome areas of the environment were still being refurbished. Inspectors said the work needed completing to reduce the likelihood of infection spreading.
“Areas of the home environment were undergoing a refurbishment and required completion of the refurbishment, to ensure the likelihood of the spread of infection was reduced.” from the report
Some choices were not recorded
needs fixingThe manager said a person's decision not to take part in activities had not always been recorded. The manager recognised this and had acted to make sure staff recorded the decision.
“The registered manager told us previously when a person chose not to engage in their activities (as a condition of their DoLS) this was not always being recorded.” from the report
- 01Which areas of the home are still being refurbished, and when will the work be completed?
- 02How do you now record a person's decision not to take part in an activity?
- 03How will you make sure care plans and risk assessments are updated when people's needs change?
- 04How are staff medicines skills checked and kept up to date?
- 05How are lessons from accidents or incidents shared with the whole staff team?
This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led; Caring and Responsive were not inspected, so their previous ratings were used in calculating the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 May 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, January 2019
Chepstow House was rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, safe and personalised care, with further improvements planned.
This was an unannounced, planned inspection on 03 January 2019. One inspector and an Expert by Experience observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and health professionals, and checked care, medicine and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicine systems, good attention to health needs, respectful care and activities that reflected people's interests.
The home was already rated Good at the previous inspection, published on 04 August 2016. The report says it remained Good overall. The manager planned further improvements to the facilities and to the information available to help people make informed choices.
Kind and respectful care
Staff were described as kind and respectful. They supported people's dignity, privacy, independence and preferred ways of communicating.
“People's right to dignity was considered in the way staff cared for them.” from the report
Safe medicines
Staff were trained and checked as competent before giving medicines. Medicines were regularly checked and reviewed.
“People were supported to have their medicines safely, by staff who were competent to do this.” from the report
Good health support
Staff worked with health and social care professionals and acted on advice. They supported people to attend appointments and provided health action plans and hospital passports.
“Health and social care professionals told us staff followed any advice given, so people would enjoy the best health outcomes possible.” from the report
Personal activities and relationships
People could take part in activities they enjoyed, spend time in the community and keep in touch with important people.
“People were supported to do a range of things they found enjoyable.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you meet my relative's specific health needs, and how would their care plan change if their health changed?
- 02How are medicines checked, reviewed and explained to the person and their family?
- 03How will our family be involved in assessing, planning and reviewing care?
- 04What activities and community visits could my relative take part in based on their interests?
- 05What easy-read information is currently available, and what further information is planned to help people make informed choices?
This was an inspection of the overall quality of the care home and covered all five key questions, including the premises and care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 January 2019 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 Chepstow House
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 13 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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11 live-in carers within about an hour of Herefordshire, County of
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 £960 to £1,410 a week. 10 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.