CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Cumberland Grange Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Staffing met people's needs, but there had been regular changes in staff and some concerns about medicines records and supply delays.
- Effective?
- Good
- People received care based on assessments of their needs, and staff had training and competency checks. Some people were unhappy with food quality and choice, although a permanent chef had been appointed after the inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, dignity and respect. People were supported to maintain friendships, express their views and take part in decisions about their care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and staff knew people well. There were varied activities and support for relationships, but some people felt bored and complaints did not always receive a consistent response.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- Management had been inconsistent, with several managers leaving and poor communication about changes. The recording and monitoring of complaints also needed improvement, although staff described the current interim management team as supportive.
What inspectors found, December 2022
Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, safe care, but the home required improvement in leadership and management continuity.
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home. Inspectors visited on four dates in September 2022. The first visit was unannounced, and later visits included a medicines inspection and feedback to managers.
Inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and a health professional. They observed care and checked care records, medicines records, recruitment files, safety checks, complaints and quality monitoring.
The home was rated Good for safe, effective, caring and responsive care. People were treated with kindness, received personalised support and were generally safe. The home had suitable training, safety checks and activities.
Well-led was rated Requires Improvement. There had been several management changes, communication with relatives about this was poor, and complaints were not always recorded or followed up consistently.
Kind and respectful care
People described staff as caring, polite and respectful. Inspectors observed supportive relationships and a focus on people's dignity and individuality.
“The staff are caring, they treat me with respect” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans covered people's individual needs and preferences. Staff reviewed care when people's health or wellbeing changed.
“Appropriate assessments were completed and up to date, from initial planning through to on-going reviews of care.” from the report
Activities and relationships
The home offered varied activities, trips and opportunities to maintain friendships and family relationships. Activities were adapted for people's abilities and interests.
“I don't get bored. I like reading, I do gardening. Everyday there is an activity, something for everyone.” from the report
Training and teamwork
Staff spoke positively about their induction, training and support. Inspectors found good teamwork and staff who understood their responsibilities.
“It is a good close knit supportive team and we all have the interests of the residents at heart.” from the report
Management changes
needs fixingThere had been several management changes and no registered manager was in post during the inspection. Relatives said changes were not formally communicated well.
“Communication has been poor, in fact no formal communication on managers changing…” from the report
Complaints records
needs fixingComplaints were not always recorded in a way that showed what had happened or allowed patterns to be reviewed. One earlier complaint had not been formally acknowledged.
“There had been a previous unrecorded complaint, which came to light when we spoke with a visitor.” from the report
Medicines records
needs fixingSome directions for creams were incomplete. Risk assessments were missing for two people who managed some of their own medicines.
“these were not in place for two people who looked after some of their medicines, as required by the home's policies.” from the report
Food choice and quality
minorSome people were unhappy with the quality and choice of food, and said items were not always available because they had not been ordered.
“There have been issues about the food since the chef left” from the report
- 01Who is now the permanent manager, and how will you keep relatives informed about any future management changes?
- 02How are complaints now recorded, acknowledged and checked to make sure they are resolved?
- 03What action has been taken to complete medicines directions and risk assessments for people managing some of their own medicines?
- 04Has the permanent chef improved the quality, choice and availability of meals?
- 05How do you check that people who feel too tired to join activities are still offered meaningful support?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered home and covered all five CQC questions, including care, premises, records, medicines, staffing and management systems. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 December 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 Cumberland Grange Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- December 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 July 2021.
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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
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 £1,020 to £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“She is such a warm and gentle person while being professional and competent at the same time.”
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
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.