CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at 20 Dairy Close
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control, including PPE, testing, cleaning, social distancing, visiting and outbreak management.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- This question was not assessed in this targeted inspection.
What inspectors found, April 2021
Choices Housing Association Limited - 20 Dairy Close: targeted inspection found good infection control measures, but the service was not rated.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 26 March 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic, rather than giving a full rating of the home.
Inspectors found good practice in visiting arrangements, outdoor visits, cleaning, testing, PPE, social distancing and plans for managing outbreaks. They were assured that the home had measures in place to reduce infection risks.
The overall service was marked “Inspected but not rated”. This means the inspection checked infection control arrangements but did not provide a new overall quality rating.
Visiting arrangements
The home had introduced new visiting protocols and kept them under review. Outdoor visits used a screen, booking system and enhanced cleaning.
“The registered manager had introduced new visiting protocols, in line with guidance introduced on 08 March 2021.” from the report
Support with testing and vaccination
People were given information about testing and vaccination in a pictorial format to help explain the processes.
“The registered manager had produced a pictorial guide to COVID-19 testing and vaccination to support and reassure people about the processes involved.” from the report
PPE and outbreak planning
PPE supplies and staffing were monitored. The home also had a system to support services during an outbreak and a winter plan based on learning from other services.
“The registered manager was in daily contact with the provider to ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) stock levels were safely maintained at all times.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the environment clean, with regular cleaning of frequently touched areas and deeper cleaning to reduce the spread of infection.
“The environment was clean. Staff completed regular touch point cleaning and deep cleans to ensure the risk of cross transmission was reduced.” from the report
Reduced mixing at mealtimes
Staggered mealtimes were used to reduce mixing and support social distancing. Staff said this also improved concentration and helped reduce choking risks.
“Staggered mealtimes had been introduced to reduce mixing and promote social distancing.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visiting arrangements managed now, and how are visits reviewed for each person?
- 02How do you explain COVID-19 testing and vaccination to people who use the home?
- 03Are staggered mealtimes still used, and what arrangements are in place to reduce choking risks?
- 04How do you check PPE supplies and staffing levels during an infection outbreak?
- 05What were the home's previous overall and question ratings, and when will the areas not covered by this inspection next be assessed?
This was an announced, targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not provide a full rating of the home or assess the other four questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 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.
What inspectors found, April 2020
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with two environmental issues fixed during the inspection.
The home provides residential personal care for four people with learning disabilities and/or mental health conditions. Inspectors visited unannounced on 14 and 25 February 2020. The first visit had to be completed on a second day because people were attending a planned event.
Inspectors spoke with two people, two relatives and three staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, recruitment and training records, and management information. They found enough suitably trained staff, safe medicines management, good risk planning and support from health professionals.
People were treated with kindness and respect. Staff supported choice, independence, communication, relationships and activities in the community. People and relatives were involved in care planning and reviews, and the home had systems to learn from incidents and improve care.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. This means inspectors found the service was meeting the relevant standards at the time of the inspection. The previous overall rating was also Good, published on 20 October 2017.
Safe staffing and support
Inspectors found enough staff with suitable recruitment checks, skills and knowledge to meet people's needs and support their interests.
“People were supported by safely recruited staff, who had the skills and knowledge to provide effective support.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff treated people with dignity, listened to their choices and encouraged them to do as much as possible for themselves.
“People were supported by caring staff who promoted choices in a way that people understood, this meant people had control and choice over their lives.” from the report
Choice and independence
People helped plan their meals and activities and were supported to take part in interests and community activities.
“People chose what they wanted to do each day and were involved in planning future activities.” from the report
Good oversight
The home used audits, incident reviews, feedback and an improvement plan to monitor care and reduce risks.
“Systems were in place to monitor the service, which ensured people's risks were mitigated and lessons were learnt when things went wrong.” from the report
Environmental safety and privacy
needs fixingOn the first day, communal radiators were not covered and personal nutritional assessments were displayed. The manager removed the information and radiator covers were fitted by the second day.
“During the first day of the inspection we identified some improvements were needed to ensure the environment promoted a safe and dignified environment.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure radiator covers and other environmental safety checks remain in place?
- 02How do you keep people's nutritional and other personal information private?
- 03How would you support my relative's specific communication needs and choices?
- 04How are medicines checked, including medicines prescribed to be taken only when needed?
- 05How would you help my relative keep their interests, relationships and community activities?
This inspection looked at the premises, care and all five CQC questions, with a second visit arranged because the first visit could not be fully completed. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 April 2020 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 20 Dairy Close
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- April 2020Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 January 2011.
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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Staffordshire
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 £980 to £1,230 a week. 85 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“We particularly appreciate the companionship Dawn gives in the evenings when she plays cards and Scrabble with my mother.”
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