CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Courtfield Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, January 2022
Courtfield Lodge was rated Good; inspectors found people were safe and the home was well managed, but medicines practice and staffing needed attention.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 6 December 2021. Inspectors looked at Safe and Well-led, including infection control. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and professionals, observed care and checked records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Good for Well-led. People and relatives generally said people were safe. Staff recruitment checks, risk assessments, safeguarding work and infection control were found to be in place.
Inspectors recommended improvements to medicines management and staff training. They also found mixed views about staffing, communication and whether people and relatives felt listened to. The manager took some immediate action during and after the inspection.
The overall Good rating also used ratings from earlier inspections for Effective, Caring and Responsive. Those areas were not inspected during this visit because no concerns had been identified.
People felt safe
People, relatives and professionals generally said people were safe. Safeguarding investigations and referrals had been completed.
“People and relatives told us they were safe in the service.” from the report
Safe recruitment
The home had completed relevant recruitment checks, helping ensure staff were suitable to support people.
“Staff records confirmed they had been recruited safely, relevant checks had been completed.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home had measures for preventing and managing infections, including PPE, testing, cleaning and visits.
“We were assured that the provider was preventing visitors from catching and spreading infections.” from the report
New management
Staff were positive about the new manager and reported that changes were being made. Audits and monitoring were ongoing.
“Staff were positive about the new manager.” from the report
Working with professionals
The home had developed working relationships with outside professionals and followed advice when extra support was needed.
“If extra support is needed for a [person] the staff will call me and do follow the advice given.” from the report
Medicines records and training
needs fixingInspectors saw problems with medicines handling, administration records and storage-temperature records. They recommended current guidance be followed and that all relevant staff complete training.
“We recommend the provider consider current guidance on ensuring medicines were provided to people in line with current best practice.” from the report
Use of agency staff
needs fixingFeedback about staffing was mixed. Some staff said numbers were enough, but others said the home relied heavily on agency staff and that another staff member would help at mealtimes.
“No, on paper there might be, but we rely on agency staff a lot and, the dependency tool used isn't reflective of the actual workload” from the report
Family involvement and activities
needs fixingSome relatives said they did not feel supported or listened to. One relative also said more trained dementia staff were needed to provide stimulating activities.
“But they need more qualified staff trained in dementia to provide stimulating activities for the residents [people who used the service].” from the report
Management records
minorSome records needed more detail or regular completion, including fire-drill records, staff questionnaires and records of actions taken after incidents.
“However, they required more detail about the drill and the findings or actions required going forward.” from the report
- 01What has changed in medicines handling, administration records and storage-temperature checks since the inspection?
- 02Have all staff who give medicines completed the recommended training and competency checks?
- 03How many permanent staff are now employed, and how often is agency staff used?
- 04What dementia training and stimulating activities are currently available?
- 05How are relatives' views collected and how do you show that concerns and suggestions have been acted on?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their previous ratings carried over into the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 January 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, June 2021
Courtfield Lodge was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements since the previous inspection.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 18 May 2021. Two inspectors and a medicines inspector spoke with people, staff and relatives, observed care, toured the home and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found that medicines were managed safely, staff used protective equipment properly, people's risks were assessed, and care was adapted for people living with dementia.
The previous rating was Requires Improvement, published in September 2020. Inspectors found that the home had put better safety and quality monitoring systems in place. They did not find evidence that people were at risk from the concerns about medicines and people leaving the home that had prompted this inspection.
Improved safety systems
The home had introduced better checks and risk management since the previous inspection. Care records contained up-to-date risk assessments.
“People's care records contained up to date and appropriate risk assessments, to guide staff on how to manage and mitigate any identified risks to people.” from the report
Medicines managed safely
Inspectors found that people received medicines as prescribed. Staff training, detailed instructions and regular audits supported safe medicines management.
“the medicines and records we checked during the inspection were correct.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors saw staff showing kindness and understanding, including when supporting people living with dementia.
“They are such caring staff. They give dignified care and are respectful.” from the report
Personalised activities and support
Activities were offered in groups and one to one. Staff supported people to take part in interests that mattered to them.
“Activities were both communal and on a one to one basis to ensure people were engaged in activities which were meaningful to them.” from the report
Better oversight
The manager and provider used audits, meetings and incident reviews to monitor quality and make improvements.
“The service demonstrated that they had effected improvements and improved care quality following our last inspection report.” from the report
Safeguarding investigation outside this inspection
needs fixingThe local authority was investigating some safeguarding concerns. CQC said this inspection did not specifically examine those matters, so the report does not provide a conclusion about them.
“We are aware that the Local Authority are investigating some safeguarding concerns, and as such, the inspection process did not specifically address those.” from the report
- 01What was the outcome of the local authority investigation into the safeguarding concerns, and what changes were made afterwards?
- 02How are the new doors and other measures working to reduce the risk of people leaving the home unsafely?
- 03How often are medicines audits completed, and what happens if an error or missing record is found?
- 04Has the manager now completed registration with the CQC?
- 05How do you make sure agency staff have the right skills and know each person's current risks and care needs?
This was an unannounced inspection prompted by concerns about medicines and people leaving the home; infection control was also checked, while the local authority's safeguarding investigation was not specifically addressed. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 June 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.
Every inspection of Courtfield Lodge
7 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2021GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedEffective: Inspected but not ratedResponsive: Inspected but not rated
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2020Requires improvementup from InadequateSafe: Requires improvementCaring: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2020Inadequatestayed InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- August 2019Inadequatedown from GoodSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- September 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 5 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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85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
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 £1,260 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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