CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Chichester Grange
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found safe medicines practice, suitable risk assessments, infection control measures and enough staff to meet people's needs.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before admission and their care was reviewed. Staff had relevant training, people received suitable food and healthcare, and mental capacity and best-interest processes were followed.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions, their privacy was respected and their independence and personal preferences were supported.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's choices, communication needs and interests. The home offered varied activities, welcomed visitors, supported end-of-life wishes and dealt with complaints appropriately.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear management oversight, regular audits and an open culture. Feedback and complaints were used to make improvements, including better communication with relatives.
What inspectors found, February 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some earlier care-record inconsistencies addressed by management.
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home. It was unannounced and took place on 15 December 2022. Inspectors spoke with people living there, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals. They also checked care records, medicines records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People told inspectors they felt safe and happy. Inspectors saw respectful staff interactions, safe medicines practice, suitable support with health risks and enough staff to meet people's needs.
Inspectors found that care was planned around people's choices, interests and communication needs. People could take part in activities, maintain relationships and make decisions about their care. The home also worked well with healthcare professionals and responded to complaints and feedback.
Some care records had not always matched the planned care. The management team identified this through audits, addressed it with staff and had improved the records by the time of the inspection. The home was not in special measures and no breaches of regulations were reported.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw positive interactions and found that staff respected people's dignity, privacy, choices and independence.
“We observed positive interactions between people and staff throughout the inspection.” from the report
Personalised support
Care was planned around people's life histories, preferences, communication needs and goals. Staff supported people to pursue individual wishes and interests.
“People's care plans contained their choices and preferences which empowered them to pursue their goals and wishes.” from the report
Safe medicines and risk management
Registered nurses administered medicines safely after training and competency checks. Risks such as choking, moving and positioning, and emergency evacuation were assessed and managed.
“People were administered their medicines safely by trained and competent staff.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People had access to varied activities and could maintain contact with relatives. The home supported individual ambitions as well as group activities.
“People experienced meaningful activities to enhance their well-being.” from the report
Responsive management
The management team listened to people, relatives and staff, acted on feedback and used audits and complaints to improve the service.
“Feedback from people and their relatives were listened to and addressed.” from the report
Care records needed correction
needs fixingAudits had found some differences between care records and planned care. Management addressed this with staff, and the records checked during the inspection were described as complete.
“Audits of care records carried out, had identified some inconsistencies in people's care records in comparison to planned care.” from the report
Use of agency staff during recruitment
minorThe home used agency staff to cover rota shortfalls while recruiting and training new staff. Inspectors found enough staff at the visit, but relatives noted that permanent staff knew people better.
“The registered manager addressed shortfalls in the rota with agency staff and where possible block booked agency staff to ensure a continuity of care for people.” from the report
- 01How do you check that each person's care records match their current care plan?
- 02How many agency staff are currently working here, and how are they introduced to each person's needs and preferences?
- 03What staffing levels are in place for my relative's needs, and how do you respond if those needs increase?
- 04How will you keep relatives informed about changes in care, health or medicines?
- 05How would you support my relative's interests, activities, communication needs and personal goals?
This was the first comprehensive inspection of the newly registered home and all five key questions were rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 February 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.
Every inspection of Chichester Grange
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- February 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 December 2021.
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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28 live-in carers within about an hour of West Sussex
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 £1,170 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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.