CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Croft House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People felt safe and staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. Risks, medicines, recruitment and infection control were managed safely, although staff were not always positioned effectively to reassure people.
- Effective?
- Requires improvement
- Care was not always consistent or effective. Inspectors found gaps in practical dementia training, incomplete detail in some care plans, difficulty tracking care records, and concerns about personal care and people's appearance.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was carried forward when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers had systems to monitor quality, investigate complaints and learn from incidents. Staff felt supported and inspectors found good teamwork and partnership working.
What inspectors found, March 2023
Croft House was rated Good overall, but inspectors found that care was not always effective, especially for people living with dementia.
Inspectors visited the home without notice on 7 and 8 March 2023. They spoke with 13 people and 9 staff, observed care, and checked care plans, recruitment records, medicines, safety records and quality audits.
People generally felt safe and said staff were friendly. Medicines were managed safely, risks were assessed, and the home worked well with health professionals and local groups. However, staff were not always deployed effectively, and some people did not receive enough reassurance, stimulation or personal care.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and well-led were rated Good. Effective was rated Requires Improvement. This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led, so the overall rating also used earlier ratings for the questions not inspected.
Medicines handled safely
Senior staff had suitable training and competency checks. Inspectors found appropriate arrangements for storage, records and disposal, and medicine stocks matched the records checked.
“People received their medicines safely from staff who had received specific training and had their competency assessed.” from the report
Risks were assessed
The home assessed risks such as pressure damage and falls while supporting people's independence. Building and equipment safety checks were also carried out.
“Risks to people's physical health were minimised because staff carried out risk assessments and took action to minimise any identified risks.” from the report
Open management
Managers monitored quality, investigated complaints and used incidents to make changes. Inspectors saw evidence that audits and action plans supported improvement.
“The provider had effective systems to monitor the quality of support provided to people and drive improvements.” from the report
Good links with others
Staff worked well with health professionals and local organisations. This helped people access specialist support and remain connected with their community.
“There were good links with local schools and churches which helped people stay connected.” from the report
Dementia support was inconsistent
needs fixingSome staff were not proactive in engaging with people who were confused or upset. Inspectors recommended practical dementia training for all staff.
“We recommend that the provider ensures that all staff have opportunities for practical training in good dementia care.” from the report
Staff were not always deployed well
needs fixingThere were generally enough staff, but people could be left without visible staff when care tasks were being completed. The home was reviewing how staff were deployed.
“However, staff were not always effectively deployed to promote people's well-being.” from the report
Personal care records and presentation
needs fixingInspectors saw that many people looked as though they had not received enough personal care. Records did not clearly show people's bathing preferences or when bathing had been offered or provided.
“During the inspection we found that a large number of people looked as if they had not received good personal care to enhance their appearance and feeling of wellbeing.” from the report
Care records lacked detail
minorSome care plans did not contain enough information about individual needs and preferences. The newer electronic system also made it difficult to track care until further changes were made.
“Care plans were being reviewed and were up to date but, in some instances, lacked detail about people's individual needs and preferences.” from the report
- 01What practical dementia training have all staff completed since the inspection, and how is its effect on people's care checked?
- 02How do you make sure staff are visible and available when other staff are helping people with personal care?
- 03How are bathing, showering, hair care and other personal care preferences recorded and checked?
- 04What changes have been made to the electronic care records so staff can reliably see what care has been given?
- 05What were the findings of the latest quality audits and action plans about dementia support, staffing and personal care?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led only, prompted by abuse notifications; Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their earlier ratings were carried forward. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 March 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.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and support for family contact at Croft House.
This was a targeted inspection on 1 February 2022. It looked mainly at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
Inspectors were assured that the home used protective equipment safely, carried out testing and kept the building clean. They also found that visits and contact with families were being supported in different ways.
People were supported to use technology, go on safe trips out and take part in activities. People spoke positively about the staff and managers.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or a full set of ratings for all five areas.
Family contact
The home offered private-room visits, a visiting pod and technology to help people stay involved with family events.
“People benefited from living in a home where staff supported them to stay in touch with friends and family in a variety of ways.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors found that the home was clean and well maintained, and that staff used protective equipment appropriately.
“People lived in an environment that was kept clean and well maintained which helped to minimise the risks of infection.” from the report
Activities and community contact
The home was introducing safe trips out, visiting entertainers and other activities as pandemic restrictions eased.
“There was a new activity programme which included safe trips out and visiting entertainers.” from the report
Kind staff
People praised the staff and managers for being kind, patient and protective during the pandemic.
“The staff and managers here are wonderful, patient and kind. They wear their masks all the time to protect us all.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What staffing pressures is the home experiencing now, and what measures are in place to prevent these affecting people's care?
- 02How can relatives visit in private rooms or use the visiting pod, and what rules currently apply?
- 03How often are people and staff tested, and what happens if someone tests positive?
- 04What safe trips, entertainers and other activities are currently available to residents?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it did not provide a full overall rating or ratings for the other key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 February 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.
Every inspection of Croft House
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- November 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 8 June 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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