CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Denecroft Residential Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found clear risk assessments, safe medicines management, suitable recruitment and effective infection control. They also found that staff understood safeguarding and how to protect people from harm.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this visit. Its rating was carried forward from the last inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this visit. Its rating was carried forward from the last inspection.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not inspected during this visit. Its rating was carried forward from the last inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found approachable management, regular checks of the service and a positive, person-centred culture. People's and families' views were gathered and used where possible.
What inspectors found, December 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found people were safe and well cared for, but records and staffing checks were still being improved.
This was an unannounced inspection on 23 and 27 November 2023. Two inspectors spoke with people, relatives, staff and managers. They also checked care records, medicine records, staff files and management records.
People and relatives described compassionate care and said staff often went above and beyond. Inspectors found clear risk assessments, safe medicines practice, suitable recruitment and effective infection control. The home was also working within the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.
Inspectors found the management team approachable and focused on improving care. They rated Safe and Well-led as Good. The report did not inspect Effective, Caring or Responsive, so those ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection.
The overall rating was Good. The last overall rating was also Good, in a report published on 15 August 2018. The CQC will continue to monitor information about the home.
Kind and compassionate care
People and relatives were very positive about the care. They said staff were caring and often did more than expected.
“People were very happy with the care provided and felt staff always went above and beyond in delivering the care.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Medicines were managed safely. Staff who administered them had training and had been assessed as competent.
“People's medicines were managed in a safe manner. Staff were trained in medicines management and were assessed as competent to administer people's medicines.” from the report
People's views heard
The manager regularly sought people's ideas and views about how the home operated, and acted on them where possible.
“The registered manager consistently gathered people's views and ideas about the operation of the services, which were, where possible, acted upon.” from the report
Strong management oversight
The home used audits and reviews to identify improvements. Staff understood their responsibilities and took ownership of their work.
“The provider and registered manager regularly reviewed the systems and processes in the service to determine if improvements could be made.” from the report
Staffing tool needed improvement
needs fixingThe previous tool did not always identify quickly enough when people's needs increased and more staff were needed. A more sensitive tool was being introduced.
“They had noted the previous tool had not been totally effective at picking up when people's needs increased and more staff at key times would have been needed.” from the report
Care records were being changed
minorThe home was moving from paper records to electronic records. Inspectors discussed improvements needed during this changeover.
“We discussed enhancements which could be made, as the service transferred from paper records to electronic care records.” from the report
- 01How far has the move from paper care records to electronic records progressed?
- 02What checks make sure important risk information is transferred correctly to the new records?
- 03How does the new dependency tool identify when extra staff are needed?
- 04What staffing changes are made when several people need support from two staff at the same time?
- 05What were the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive at the previous inspection?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings used for the overall rating were carried forward from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 December 2023 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, August 2018
Denecroft Residential Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-organised care for people living with dementia.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 29 June 2018. One inspector reviewed care records, medicines, staffing, policies, incidents, complaints and surveys. They also looked around the home, observed lunch and care, and spoke with people, relatives, managers and staff.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they were happy and felt safe. Inspectors found suitable staffing, safe medicines arrangements, trained staff, personalised food and care, and activities built into daily life.
The home had a detailed system for checking quality and making improvements. The overall Good rating was unchanged from the previous inspection. The report says there was no evidence of serious risks or concerns.
Safe medicines
Medicines were managed with dedicated responsibility on each shift. Controlled drug records, checks, storage and fridge temperatures were up to date.
“A dedicated staff member each shift was responsible for medicines administration and they were protected from other duties in order to do this safely and not be interrupted.” from the report
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw warm relationships between people and staff. People and relatives described staff as gentle, caring and supportive.
“My favourite thing is how lovely the staff are with people, they are so gentle and the way they look after them you can tell they care.” from the report
Personalised food
The cook knew people's preferences and could change the menu to meet their needs. Inspectors saw people enjoying lunch.
“They described how the provider and registered manager had given them the freedom to amend the menu to suit people's needs” from the report
Quality checks
The manager used regular audits, surveys and spot checks. Where improvements were identified, the home set out actions, timescales and responsibilities.
“Quality assurance processes were detailed and identified areas for improvement.” from the report
No dedicated activities coordinator
minorThe home did not employ a dedicated activities coordinator. Staff said they included activities in everyday care and that this did not affect people's experience, but families may want to ask how this works in practice.
“The home did not have a dedicated activities coordinator but every staff member we spoke to told us this didn't impact on the experience people received.” from the report
- 01How do you plan activities for each person, given that there is no dedicated activities coordinator?
- 02How do you record and review each person's changing risks, needs and preferences?
- 03How would you support someone who needed end of life care at the home?
- 04How are relatives involved in reviewing care plans and decisions?
- 05How do your medicines checks identify and deal with any errors or changes in need?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the overall Good rating unchanged from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 August 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.
Every inspection of Denecroft Residential Care Home
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Denecroft Residential Care Home →
- August 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Denecroft Residential Care Home →
- April 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 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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