CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Daleside Nursing Home
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, January 2021
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care, but medicines storage and communication with families needed improvement.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 4 December 2020. Inspectors spoke with people, staff, the provider and relatives by telephone. They reviewed care records, medicine records, staff recruitment files and management records.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe improved from Requires Improvement to Good. Well-led remained Good. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicine administration, infection control measures and kind, respectful care.
There were some weaknesses. Medicines were not always stored securely, recruitment checks were not consistently recorded, and some relatives and professionals had difficulty contacting the home. The provider said it was changing the telephone system.
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw staff spending time with people and treating them kindly and with dignity. People said they liked the staff's approach.
“There was a positive, friendly and relaxed atmosphere within the home.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs safely and promptly. The provider also described a new system for staffing when more people were living at the home.
“There were sufficient staff members deployed to meet people needs safely, in a timely manner and for staff members to spend some time with people.” from the report
Infection control
The home was clean and had extra cleaning routines, testing, PPE supplies and arrangements for safer admissions during the pandemic.
“The home manager and staff had taken steps to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic and help prevent the spread of any infection.” from the report
Learning from incidents
Accidents, incidents and near misses were recorded and reviewed. The home had also strengthened monitoring of people's skin condition after earlier concerns.
“This system promoted learning from these incidents and making improvements when needed.” from the report
Medicine storage
needs fixingSome medicines were not stored securely. The report also found that storage temperature records were not always kept consistently.
“The medication room door was unlocked, portable medication cabinets were not secured, and homely remedies were stored in an unlocked cabinet.” from the report
Recruitment records
minorThe home had a safe recruitment process, but records did not always show that applicants' identities had been checked. Inspectors made a recommendation to improve the records.
“Recruitment records did not consistently contain records of the checks made on applicant's identification.” from the report
Contact with families
needs fixingSome relatives, friends and professionals found it difficult to contact people or staff at the home. The provider said it was changing the telephone system.
“They told us that it was hard to get an answer on the home's telephone number and there was no facility to leave a message.” from the report
- 01Has the medication room door been kept locked, and are portable medicine cabinets now secured?
- 02How are medicine storage temperatures recorded and checked each day?
- 03Have all recruitment files been updated to show identity checks?
- 04Has the new telephone system been installed, and what should families do if they cannot get through?
- 05How can residents keep in touch with relatives when visits are restricted?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led during the COVID-19 pandemic; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not reviewed and their earlier ratings carried over. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 January 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.
What inspectors found, May 2019
Daleside Nursing Home was rated Good overall, but inspectors found that some safety and cleanliness arrangements still needed improvement.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 23 April 2019. Inspectors observed care, looked around the home, checked medicines and records, and spoke with people, relatives and staff.
People were generally treated with kindness and respect. Inspectors found good care planning, suitable staffing, safe medicines management, helpful support with food and healthcare, and a homely atmosphere.
The main weakness was safety. Cleanliness had improved a lot, but some areas still needed attention, including the medicines fridge and part of one person's room. Staff also needed clearer guidance about some medicines given when required.
The overall rating was Good. Safe was rated Requires Improvement, while Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led were rated Good. The home had improved since the previous inspection and was no longer in breach of the regulations identified then.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors saw staff treating people warmly and supporting their dignity and choices.
“We observed many warm, friendly and caring interactions between staff and the people living at the home throughout our inspection.” from the report
Medicines management
Inspectors found that medicines were administered, stored and recorded safely. People received their medicines as prescribed.
“Medicines were safely administered, stored and recorded at the home by staff who had the required knowledge and skills.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans contained useful information about people's health, communication, background and preferences. People and relatives were involved in reviews.
“The care plans we looked at were informative, regularly reviewed and reflected the needs of the people supported by the service.” from the report
Improvement since last inspection
The home had improved its cleanliness, environment and quality checks. It had addressed the breaches found at the previous inspection.
“The registered provider and staff at the home had responded positively to the findings of our last inspection and significant improvements had been made.” from the report
Cleanliness still being improved
needs fixingAlthough standards had improved, some cleaning work was unfinished. The home also needed to act on areas identified by the infection prevention and control team.
“However, this was an area of ongoing improvement and there were some aspects that the registered provider was continuing to address.” from the report
More guidance for some medicines
minorInspectors said staff needed further guidance about medicines given only when needed. The medicines fridge also needed cleaning.
“However, we explained to the registered provider some further guidance could be implemented for staff relating to 'as required' (PRN) medicines.” from the report
- 01What cleaning work identified during the inspection, including the medicines fridge, has now been completed?
- 02What action was taken in response to the infection prevention and control team's visit?
- 03What written guidance do staff now have for medicines given 'as required', and how is their practice checked?
- 04How are cleanliness and medicines audits reviewed to make sure improvements remain in place?
- 05How will you involve my relative and our family in care plan reviews and decisions about care?
This was an unannounced planned inspection that considered all five CQC questions, including the care provided and the home environment. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 May 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 Daleside Nursing Home
4 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2021Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- November 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- July 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 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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40 live-in carers within about an hour of Wirral
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 £1,230 a week. 37 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
“It was clear that she genuinely cared and her warm approach really helped put our minds at ease.”
“He developed a close affinity with Terence, spending time talking with him before he retired to bed and looking after his needs during the night.”
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.