CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at The Houghtons
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found safe, kind and responsive care, but effectiveness and leadership needed to improve.
This was the first inspection since the home was registered with CQC. It was unannounced and took place on 16 and 30 October 2019. Inspectors observed care, spoke with staff and relatives, and checked care, medicines, staff and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Caring and Responsive. Inspectors found enough staff, well-managed risks, improved medicines systems, kind staff and personalised support. People had access to food, drinks, healthcare and activities.
The home was rated Requires Improvement for Effective and Well-led. More staff needed training for one person's complex health needs. Records did not always clearly show how one-to-one hours were used. CQC said it would return as part of its re-inspection programme.
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw friendly and respectful interactions. Staff knew people's likes, dislikes and ways of communicating.
“Relatives told us staff were kind and caring.” from the report
People were kept safe
Risks were assessed, staffing levels were considered safe, and staff knew how to report concerns. Medicines systems had improved after earlier errors.
“People were protected from harm by staff who were trained to identify and report concerns.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans gave staff detailed information about people's needs. Staff supported people with personal care, communication, activities and independence.
“People had care plans that detailed what support they needed, and staff told us they followed these.” from the report
Access to food and healthcare
Inspectors found evidence of varied food being ordered and delivered. People were supported to attend health appointments and receive help from health professionals.
“Records showed staff supported people to access health services such as GPs, community nurses, dentists, and specialist doctors.” from the report
Training for complex health needs
seriousNot enough staff had been trained to support one person effectively. The report says mistakes were still happening, creating a risk that improper care could cause pain.
“More staff needed to be trained to meet one person's specific health needs, and staff competence assessed to ensure they provided effective care.” from the report
Records of one-to-one hours
needs fixingRecords did not always clearly show how people's allocated one-to-one hours were used. A new recording system needed to become established across the staff team.
“There was not always accessible information to show how people were supported to use their allocated one to one hours.” from the report
Management oversight
needs fixingThe service was still working through an action plan after concerns about food stocks and other issues identified by the local authority. The manager was not registered with CQC at the time of inspection, although the registration process had started.
“The service was also being monitored by the local authority following concerns being raised about the amount of food stocked at the service, and other issues identified during visits by local authority representatives.” from the report
- 01How many staff are now trained to support the person with complex health needs?
- 02How do you check that staff are competent to provide this specific care?
- 03How are one-to-one hours now recorded, and can relatives see how they have been used?
- 04What action has been taken in response to the local authority's concerns about food stocks and other issues?
- 05How are people's end-of-life wishes recorded and kept up to date?
This inspection looked at all five CQC questions and was the first inspection of the newly registered service; CQC inspected early because the previous provider had received a Requires Improvement rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 December 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 The Houghtons
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- December 2019Requires improvementcurrent ratingstayed Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2019
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 30 April 2019.
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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88 live-in carers within about an hour of Bedford
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. 76 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“We can all fully relax around Nyarai and she feels like part of our family, which is no mean feat!”
“She handled the new situation in front of her with such professionalism and I felt I could trust her 100%.”
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.