CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Dalling House
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, June 2022
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind and effective care, but safety records, activities and quality checks were not reliable enough.
Inspectors visited the home on 13 April 2022. They spoke with people living there, relatives, staff and professionals. They looked around the home and checked care plans, medicines, incident records, staff files and audits.
People generally felt safe and said staff were kind and respectful. Staff were trained, recruited safely and supported people with food, appointments and day-to-day choices. However, care plans and risk assessments were not always complete or easy for staff to access.
Inspectors found unsafe medicines practices, including non-prescribed as-needed pain relief being given for several weeks without a GP referral or effectiveness check. They also found that repeated falls were not properly analysed and that audits had not led to enough action.
The overall rating means the home was not consistently meeting the required standards. Effective and caring care were rated Good, while Safe, Responsive and Well-led were rated Requires Improvement. This was the first inspection since the service was newly registered.
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives described staff as kind, respectful and attentive. Inspectors saw staff responding to people's needs and supporting privacy and dignity.
“People and relatives told us that people were treated kindly and with respect and compassion.” from the report
Staffing and recruitment
The home had enough trained staff on each shift, and recruitment checks had been completed before staff started work.
“There were enough trained staff on duty each shift to meet people's needs.” from the report
Food and health support
People were offered choices at mealtimes and said they enjoyed the food. Staff supported people to attend health and social care appointments.
“People were presented with choices of food and drink at each mealtime and were supported to maintain a healthy diet.” from the report
Support with dignity and independence
Staff respected people's privacy and encouraged them to remain as independent as possible while supporting their safety.
“People were encouraged and supported to be as independent as possible.” from the report
Incomplete safety records
seriousSome care plans were not up to date or accessible to staff. Risk assessments did not always identify and reduce risks such as falls, diabetes and medicines.
“This had resulted in staff not having access to some of the care plans.” from the report
Unsafe as-needed medicines
seriousThere were no clear protocols for as-needed medicines. Two people received non-prescribed paracetamol daily for more than a month without a GP referral or check that it was effective.
“In neither case had paracetamol been prescribed by the GP.” from the report
Insufficient activities
needs fixingPeople had too little to do and sometimes received little mental stimulation. The activities co-ordinator worked two days each week, but staff had little time for additional activities or one-to-one support.
“Everyone we spoke with said that there was not enough for people to do” from the report
Weak quality checks
needs fixingAudits did not reliably find problems or result in action. The home also lacked a regular process for gathering and using feedback.
“No actions had resulted from any auditing process.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to ensure every person has an up-to-date care plan and detailed risk assessments that staff can easily access?
- 02How are as-needed medicines now authorised, recorded and reviewed with a GP or other health professional?
- 03What has been done to identify and reduce the causes of repeated falls?
- 04How many activities are now available each week, including one-to-one time for people who need it?
- 05How do you gather feedback from residents, relatives and professionals, and what changes have resulted from that feedback?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered service and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; the previous Good rating in 2019 was under the former provider. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 June 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.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Dalling House was inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection controls, but cleaning records lacked enough detail.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 18 January 2022. It followed concerns about infection prevention and control and staffing pressures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspectors were assured about visitors, social distancing, admissions, protective equipment, testing, outbreak arrangements, visits and the infection control policy. The home also used a booking system for relatives' visits and required proof of a negative COVID-19 test before entry.
Inspectors were only somewhat assured about cleaning. A domestic cleaner worked one day each week and care staff cleaned on other days. Daily cleaning records did not clearly show when work was done or who completed it.
The service was inspected but not rated. This report does not give a full quality rating for the home.
Infection controls
Inspectors were assured that the home was using protective equipment safely, providing testing and managing infection risks.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Arrangements for visits
The home used booked visiting times to reduce overcrowding. Relatives and people living in the home liked the precise timings.
“The home had a booking in system for visits from relatives.” from the report
Testing before entry
Visitors had to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test, and test kits were provided when needed.
“Proof of negative covid-19 tests before entry to the home was mandatory” from the report
Cleaning records
needs fixingCleaning was shared between a domestic cleaner and care staff. The records did not give enough detail about the time of cleaning or who had done it.
“Although records were kept of daily cleaning, they did not provide sufficient detail about times and who had completed the work.” from the report
- 01Who is responsible for cleaning each day now, and has an additional cleaner been recruited?
- 02How do you record the time of each cleaning task and the name of the person who completed it?
- 03What checks are made to ensure that shared areas and other parts of the home are kept clean?
- 04How are visitors currently booked and tested before entering the home?
- 05How do you manage staffing pressures if staff are absent because of COVID-19?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, with questions about staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 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 Dalling House
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- June 2022Requires improvementcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not ratedWell-led: Inspected but not rated
- April 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 December 2020.
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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19 live-in carers within about an hour of East Sussex
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 £1,000 to £1,400 a week. 13 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“When he point blank refused to go into hospital for a life saving blood transfusion she talked him through the situation and agreed to go in the ambulance with him and stayed until he was settled.”
“Una felt safe, secure and loved in her time with Debbie which is a gift that I am eternally grateful for.”
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.