CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Dale Mount
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment checks, suitable risk assessments and safe medicines arrangements. Staff understood how to recognise and report abuse.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had relevant training, supervision and appraisals. People were supported with food, drink, weight, activities and access to health professionals, and inspectors found the home was working within the Mental Capacity Act principles.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff treated people with kindness, compassion and respect. They asked permission before providing support and encouraged people to remain as independent as possible.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised, accurate and reviewed regularly. Activities reflected people's interests, and people and relatives knew how to raise complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found the home was well managed, with regular audits, staff meetings and systems for learning from incidents. Feedback from people, relatives and professionals was sought and acted on.
What inspectors found, July 2018
Dale Mount was rated Good in all areas; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with no serious risks or concerns.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 27 June 2018. Inspectors spoke with six people living at the home, three relatives, staff and a health and social care professional. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines, recruitment records, complaints, incidents and audits.
The home was rated Good overall and Good for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough suitably trained staff, safe medicines arrangements, accurate care plans and support for people's health, choices, dignity and independence.
The report says the rating remained Good, as it had been at the previous inspection on 6 February 2017. It also says there was no evidence from the inspection or ongoing monitoring of serious risks or concerns.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs safely. Medicines, including controlled drugs and as-required medicines, were managed appropriately.
“There continued to be sufficient staff to meet people's needs safely.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans covered people's individual needs, preferences and personal information. They were reviewed when people's needs changed.
“Care plans were personalised to the individual and gave clear details about each person's needs and how they liked to be supported.” from the report
Kind and respectful support
Staff listened to people, explained what they were doing and supported privacy, dignity and independence.
“We observed that people continued to be treated kindness, compassion and respect.” from the report
Activities and choice
The activities programme included social, physical, cultural and one-to-one activities based on people's feedback and abilities.
“A weekly activity sheet was distributed to everyone and was on display on the notice board which included social, physical, cultural and one to one activities based on people's feedback.” from the report
Learning and oversight
The home recorded and reviewed incidents, completed audits and acted on identified improvements. It also worked with health and social care professionals.
“There was learning from accidents and incidents which minimised the risks of avoidable harm.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What has changed since the last CQC inspection on 27 June 2018?
- 02How do you currently check that medicines, including as-required medicines and pain patches, are managed safely?
- 03How are care plans reviewed when a person's needs or mobility change?
- 04What activities are currently available, and how do you use residents' feedback to plan them?
- 05How are accidents, incidents and safeguarding concerns currently recorded, investigated and used to improve care?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering the premises, care provided and all five CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 July 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, March 2017
Rated Good overall; inspectors found that management had fixed earlier problems with reporting incidents to the CQC.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 6 February 2017. It followed a full inspection in April 2016, when the home had not always told the CQC about events it was required to report.
Inspectors checked whether the promised improvements had been made. They reviewed quality records, two care plans, and spoke with two people, two staff members and the registered manager.
The home was now reporting required events, including serious injuries, safeguarding matters and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. Inspectors also found updated policies, regular audits and positive views from people and staff.
The overall rating was Good. The only question assessed in this inspection, Well-led, was also rated Good. This report does not reassess the other four questions.
Required reporting
The home had put arrangements in place to report all required events to the CQC. Staff understood when reports were needed.
“At this inspection, improvements had been made and the service was now compliant with the regulations.” from the report
Quality checks
Audits and quality checks were being used to find shortfalls and make changes. Inspectors found that identified actions had been completed.
“Audits and quality assurance systems were in place to address shortfalls and drive forward any identified improvements.” from the report
Positive views
People and staff spoke positively about the home and its management. People said they could approach the manager if they had problems.
“People and staff spoke positively about the service and the registered manager.” from the report
Up-to-date records
Inspectors found that care plans were reviewed monthly and records were up to date, with no gaps identified.
“Care plans were being reviewed monthly and included any changes to be made. Records were up to date and no gaps were identified.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you make sure all notifiable events are reported to the CQC promptly?
- 02What did your most recent audits identify, and what actions have been completed?
- 03How often are care plans reviewed now, and how are changes recorded?
- 04How have you kept the improvements made after the April 2016 inspection in place?
- 05What were the latest findings from your fire safety and medicines audits?
This was a focused inspection of Well-led only; the other four question areas were not assessed in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 March 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 Dale Mount
3 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2017Goodstayed GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 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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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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“Irene was a very kind and empathetic carer who knew just the right words to say to put a smile on my face.”
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.