CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Colwill Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, good safeguarding systems, well-managed medicines and plans for emergencies. People's risks were identified and monitored.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff understood people's needs and received training and supervision. People had access to healthcare, support at mealtimes and suitable support for their dietary needs.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well and understood their communication, likes and dislikes. People were supported to make daily choices and to use independent living skills.
- Responsive?
- Good
- The home had created care planning booklets for all 62 people receiving personal care. People were supported with activities and complaints were taken seriously, although WiFi was still limited or unavailable.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear responsibilities, regular staff meetings, family feedback systems and quality audits. Staff said they enjoyed working at the home and felt supported.
What inspectors found, May 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and well-organised respite care, but WiFi was still not available.
Inspectors made an unannounced comprehensive visit on 16 April 2018. They reviewed six care plans, three staff records and other records. They spoke with staff and managers, and contacted four parent or carers.
The home provides short stays and respite care for people with learning or physical disabilities. Inspectors found enough staff, well-managed medicines, suitable safety checks and staff who understood people's needs and communication styles.
The home had improved its care planning. All 62 people receiving personal care now had individual personal planning booklets. This meant staff had clearer guidance about people's individual needs. Responsive care improved from Requires Improvement to Good.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The inspection covered regulated personal care, not care for people who did not receive that activity.
Strong staff relationships
Staff had worked at the home for a long time and understood people's individual communication and support needs. Families said their relatives were happy and safe.
“This showed staff had meaningful relationships with people and got to know them well.” from the report
Improved care plans
The home created individual personal planning booklets for all people receiving personal care. These gave staff clearer information about personal care, safety, health, interests and preferences.
“We found in April 2018 that there had been a lot of work carried out to ensure all 62 care plans had been devised” from the report
Safe medicines management
Medicines brought in for respite stays were securely stored, signed in and signed out. Staff were trained and medicines were regularly audited.
“Medicines were thoroughly audited and any issues noted and addressed.” from the report
Choice and activities
People could choose how to spend their time, including going out, taking part in activities and using different areas of the home. Their usual routines were supported.
“People had opportunities to take part in activities of their choice.” from the report
No efficient WiFi
needs fixingThe home still had no or limited WiFi, despite this being raised at the previous comprehensive inspection. Inspectors said this affected people's ability to communicate and keep in touch.
“Having no efficient WiFi did not support people's use of applications to communicate or help keep people in touch with friends and family whilst on respite” from the report
Communication books not always completed
minorOne parent said staff did not always write in the communication book sent home after a stay. Staff said this could be difficult when many people went home at the same time.
“Another parent said staff didn't always write in the communication book that was sent home with their relative after their stay.” from the report
Some information had been kept separately
minorInspectors found that some important care and risk information was in separate files or folders. The manager was moving this information into the personal planning booklets, and acted on one issue during the inspection.
“Some aspects of care were complicated to read so the service manager was ensuring risk information was included in the booklet” from the report
- 01What progress has been made in providing reliable WiFi for people staying at the home?
- 02How do you make sure communication books are completed before people return home?
- 03How do you check that all important care, risk and equipment instructions are kept together and are easy for staff to find?
- 04How will you make sure staff know about a person's needs when agency staff are used?
- 05How are families involved in reviewing their relative's personal planning booklet after each stay?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection of the overall service, but CQC only regulates care for people receiving the regulated activity of personal care. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 May 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.
What inspectors found, August 2017
Rated Good overall, but inspectors found the home still needed to improve how it kept care plans up to date.
This was an announced focused inspection on 25 July 2017. It followed an earlier inspection where the home was issued a requirement notice because care plans were not being properly reviewed or kept up to date.
The home had started creating new personal planning booklets with people and their families. These included information about people's needs, safety, health, interests and preferences, and were designed to be easy to understand.
However, only five of 75 booklets had been completed. A further 23 were still being prepared, so some staff did not have up-to-date written information about the people staying at the home. Inspectors rated the service Requires Improvement for being responsive and found a breach of Regulation 17.
Personalised planning
The new booklets included detailed information about people's care, safety, health, interests and preferences.
“People's personal planning booklets detailed important information about how they liked their personal care needs to be met” from the report
Easy-to-understand format
The care planning format was designed so people could understand it.
“People's care plans were devised in a format that they could easily understand.” from the report
Working relationships
The local authority service improvement team reported having a good relationship with the registered manager.
“The local authority service improvement team told us they had a good relationship with the registered manager” from the report
Many plans unfinished
seriousOnly five of 75 personal planning booklets were complete, while 23 were still being finalised. This meant some written guidance was not up to date.
“However, only five out of 75 of these booklets had been completed with 23 still in the process of being finalised.” from the report
Incomplete care records
seriousSome care records were not accurate, complete or current. Inspectors said this breached Regulation 17.
“Some people's care records were not an accurate, complete and contemporaneous record in respect of their care and support.” from the report
- 01How many of the 75 personal planning booklets are now complete?
- 02How do you make sure staff have current written information when someone stays at the home?
- 03How often is each personal planning booklet reviewed, and who takes part in the review?
- 04How do you check the accuracy and quality of care plans created by assistant managers?
- 05What action was reported to the CQC after the breach of Regulation 17?
This was a focused inspection of the Responsive question only, checking progress on care planning; the other four questions were not inspected during this visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 August 2017 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 Colwill Lodge
3 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2017Goodstayed GoodResponsive: Requires improvement
- March 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 28 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
9 live-in carers within about an hour of Plymouth
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.
8 can care for a couple. 9 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.