CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Dene Park House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, August 2022
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care and enough staff, but unsafe medicines management and weak records put people at risk.
This was an unannounced inspection prompted partly by concerns about medicines. Inspectors reviewed care records, medicine records, recruitment files and management records. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and health professionals, and observed care in the home.
People generally felt safe and were happy with their care. Staff were kind, respectful and knew people well. There were enough staff to meet people's needs promptly, and infection control measures were mostly suitable.
However, some medicines were out of date or not recorded correctly. Recruitment checks, food and fluid records, care plans, mental capacity records and complaints records also had gaps. The systems used to check quality were not strong enough to identify all these problems.
The overall rating was Requires Improvement. Safe, Effective, Responsive and Well-led were rated Requires Improvement. Caring was rated Good. The provider was asked for an action plan and said immediate steps were being taken to reduce the risks.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff being warm, patient and compassionate. People were treated with dignity and supported to make choices.
“Staff interacted with people in a warm and compassionate way.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found enough staff on duty to meet people's needs in a timely way.
“We saw enough staff were on duty to meet people's needs in a timely way.” from the report
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe. Staff understood safeguarding and knew how to report concerns.
“People told us they felt safe and were happy with the care they received.” from the report
Risk awareness
Staff generally knew people well and understood their risks. Care plans usually included risk assessments and ways to reduce those risks.
“Staff knew people well and were aware of people's risks and how to keep them safe.” from the report
Medicines were not always safe
seriousSome creams were out of date, medicine records were not always checked correctly, and guidance for some medicines was not detailed enough. Inspectors said this placed people at risk of harm.
“Medicines were not always managed safely which placed people at risk of harm.” from the report
Weak record keeping and checks
seriousThe home's systems did not identify all the problems found during the inspection. Care, recruitment and other records were not always accurate, complete or up to date.
“An effective system to monitor the quality and safety of the service and ensure accurate records were maintained was not in place, which placed people at risk of harm.” from the report
Care plans lacked detail
needs fixingSeveral care plans were not person-centred enough to guide staff about individual needs. Work to review and update them was already under way.
“Several care plans lacked person-centred information.” from the report
Food and drink records
needs fixingRecords of food and fluid intake were inconsistent, and some required weight checks were missed. One person's food and drink had not always been prepared as advised to reduce choking risk.
“Records relating to several people's food and fluid intake had not always been completed consistently.” from the report
Communication and activities
minorMost relatives felt communication needed to improve. Feedback about activities was mixed, and one person said activities did not happen regularly.
“Most relatives we spoke with felt that communication needed improving.” from the report
- 01What checks have been completed to make sure all creams and other medicines are in date and recorded correctly?
- 02How are medicine instructions, including guidance for when-required medicines, kept up to date for each person?
- 03Have all care plans been reviewed so they give staff detailed, person-centred instructions?
- 04How are food, fluid and weight records checked for people at risk of malnutrition or choking?
- 05What has changed to improve communication with relatives and make activities more regular?
The inspection looked at the overall quality of the care home and all five key questions, with particular attention to medicines and infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 August 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
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 12 January 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, and asked about staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
The home was clean. Staff used protective equipment correctly and had up-to-date infection control training. The home had arrangements for safe visiting, social distancing, testing, admissions and managing outbreaks.
The home was inspected but not rated. This report is therefore not a full assessment of the quality of care or of all five areas normally considered by the CQC.
Safe visiting
The home had a designated visiting area, cleaned between visits. People could also keep in touch with families through video calls.
“The provider was facilitating visits for people who used the service safely.” from the report
Clean environment
The home was very clean, with extra cleaning of frequently touched surfaces such as grab rails and door handles.
“The service was very clean. Additional cleaning was being carried out on frequent touch points such as grab rails and door handles.” from the report
Protective equipment and training
Staff wore protective equipment correctly and could explain how to put it on and remove it safely. Their infection control training was up to date.
“Staff wore their PPE correctly. Staff were able to explain the process for putting on and removing PPE in the safest way to minimise the spread of infection.” from the report
Working with infection control specialists
The home worked with the local infection prevention team and acted on its advice, including changing how soiled protective equipment was disposed of.
“Staff worked with the local infection prevention team effectively.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you currently managing staffing pressures linked to COVID-19 or other infections?
- 02How do you keep the designated visiting area clean between visits, and what visiting arrangements are currently in place?
- 03How often are frequently touched surfaces cleaned, and how is this checked?
- 04How do you make sure staff continue to use protective equipment correctly and keep their infection control training up to date?
- 05What arrangements are in place to prevent or manage an infection outbreak?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 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 Dene Park House
7 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Requires improvement rating throughout.
- August 2022Requires improvementcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2021GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- August 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvement
- July 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 November 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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36 live-in carers within about an hour of Newcastle upon Tyne
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 £950 to £1,160 a week. 30 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in 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.