CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Danecroft
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing infection and managing visits, testing, protective equipment, cleaning and outbreaks safely. The provider said it had measures to manage COVID-19-related staffing pressures.
- Effective?
- Outstanding
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, January 2022
Danecroft was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and visiting arrangements during the COVID-19 response.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 20 January 2022. It looked at infection prevention and control, and asked about staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
Inspectors were assured that the home was managing infection risks. They found suitable use of protective equipment, regular testing, cleaning, risk assessments and arrangements for safe visits.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall rating or a rated judgement for the five areas of care.
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that protective equipment, testing, cleaning and infection control policies were being used appropriately.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Safe visiting
The home had processes to reduce infection risks during visits and kept relatives informed about changes to visiting guidance.
“Relatives told us the staff contacted them promptly to provide updates of changes to government guidance relating to visiting” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home clean, without unpleasant smells, and said enhanced cleaning had been carried out in frequently touched areas.
“The care home was clean and had no mal odours. Enhanced cleaning had been completed of frequently touched areas.” from the report
Keeping people connected
People were supported to stay in touch with family and friends during lockdowns through telephone and video calls.
“People had been supported to maintain contact with family and friends during the COVID-19 lockdowns through use of telephone and video calls.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What staffing pressures are there now, and how do you make sure they do not affect people's care?
- 02What infection prevention and control arrangements are currently in place for visitors and new admissions?
- 03How are COVID-19 or other infection outbreaks prevented and managed now?
- 04How do you keep relatives informed if visiting guidance changes?
- 05Are people still supported to keep in contact with family and friends if visits are limited?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it did not provide a full rating of the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 January 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, December 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good COVID-19 precautions but were not assured that all infection-control procedures were safe.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 9 November 2020. It looked only at infection prevention and control because the home had a coronavirus outbreak.
Inspectors found several good measures. People who tested positive were kept together in one area, staff had personal protective equipment, and staff were allocated to specific units where possible.
The home had a glass-partitioned visiting room and plans for dealing with staff shortages. However, inspectors were not fully assured that infection-control procedures were safe and signposted the home to further guidance.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not give an overall quality rating or a separate rated score for safety.
Separating people with COVID-19
People who tested positive were kept in one area to reduce the chance of infection spreading. Staff were allocated to specific units where possible.
“People who tested positive for COVID 19 were cohorted in one area of the home to minimise the risk of the infection spreading.” from the report
Safer visiting arrangements
Although the home was closed to visitors at the time, it had created a protected space for visits using a glass partition and speakers.
“Having a safe barrier people could spend more time in private with their visitors.” from the report
Planning for staff shortages
The provider had plans for responding to an outbreak and maintaining safe staffing. Risks and people's needs were assessed when planning for possible shortages.
“The provider had policies, procedures and contingency plans in place to respond promptly and maintain safe staffing levels in case of an outbreak.” from the report
Some infection-control procedures were not assured
needs fixingInspectors could not confirm that the home was following all safe infection prevention and control procedures. They signposted the home to resources to improve its approach.
“We were not assured that the service was following safe infection prevention and control procedures to keep people safe at the time of the inspection.” from the report
- 01Which infection prevention and control procedures were inspectors not assured about?
- 02What changes did the home make after being signposted to further infection-control guidance?
- 03How are people who test positive for COVID-19 separated from others now?
- 04How does the home manage visiting arrangements when there is an infection risk?
- 05How does the home maintain safe staffing levels during an outbreak or staff shortage?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control practices during a coronavirus outbreak; it was not a full inspection and the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 December 2020 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 Danecroft
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- January 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- November 2019Outstandingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: OutstandingCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- March 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 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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88 live-in carers within about an hour of Bedford
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. 76 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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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.