CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Dimensions 1 Ridgewood Drive
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were identified and managed, staffing and recruitment were safe, medicines were managed safely, and the home was clean. No restrictive intervention practices were used.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and support plans guided staff. Staff had relevant training and supervision, people received support with food and healthcare, and the home followed the Mental Capacity Act principles.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff knew people well and treated them with kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in decisions and supported to communicate, make choices and remain independent.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Support was personalised and flexible. People had access to varied activities, local community opportunities and different communication formats, and complaints were investigated and answered.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found strong leadership, an open culture and effective quality checks. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views and staff said they felt listened to.
What inspectors found, October 2019
Rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care that promoted choice and independence.
This was an unannounced inspection on 5 September 2019. One inspector observed care, spoke with three people, a relative, staff and a healthcare professional, and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home supports five people with learning disabilities. Inspectors found that people were safe, received their medicines as prescribed, and were supported by trained staff. Care was tailored to people's needs, choices and communication styles.
People were treated with kindness and respect. They were supported to make decisions, build independence, take part in activities and access healthcare. The home had a positive culture and effective checks on care quality. The overall rating was Good, as were all five areas inspected.
Choice and independence
People were supported to make decisions, develop skills and do more for themselves wherever possible.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff knew people's personalities and preferences and supported their wellbeing with dignity and respect.
“People were supported by kind and caring staff who worked hard to promote their wellbeing.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans described people's abilities, routines and preferences, and were reviewed with people and relatives.
“Support plans provided staff with descriptions of people's abilities and how they should provide support in line with people's preferences.” from the report
Activities and community life
People were supported to take part in varied activities, outings and community opportunities linked to their interests.
“People were supported to take part in a wide range of activities to provide them with stimulation, entertainment, socialisation and ensure they were part of the local community.” from the report
Positive leadership
The home had an open culture, with regular checks and opportunities for people, relatives and staff to give their views.
“We found an open and transparent culture, where constructive criticism was encouraged.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you assess and update my relative's support plan and risk assessments after they move in?
- 02How would you support my relative to develop independence and take part in activities that match their interests?
- 03How would you communicate with my relative if they use pictures, signs or another method rather than speech?
- 04How are medicine records and staff competency checked, and how are any issues followed up?
- 05How would the home involve my relative, our family and any advocate in decisions about care?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection that looked at the premises and care and rated all five key questions; the previous inspection rating was also Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 October 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.
What inspectors found, January 2017
Rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with earlier staffing and consent concerns addressed.
This was an unannounced inspection on 7 November 2016. One inspector spoke with people, relatives, the manager and staff. They also observed care and checked care plans, medicines records, accident records, staff files, training and quality checks.
The home was rated Good for safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led care. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable training and care that followed people's needs, preferences and communication styles.
People were supported to make choices, stay independent and take part in activities. Care plans were reviewed, healthcare professionals were involved when needed, and relatives said they had positive relationships with the home.
The previous inspection in October 2015 found concerns about staffing levels and following the Mental Capacity Act. This inspection found that action had been taken to resolve both concerns.
Enough staff
Inspectors saw enough staff to support people safely, including people going out and those staying at the home. Care interactions were not rushed.
“We observed enough staff were present to meet the needs of the people who lived at the home.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people's interests and communication styles. They supported privacy, dignity, choice and independence.
“People were supported by kind, compassionate staff who knew them well.” from the report
Personalised activities
People had individual activity plans and could choose activities that mattered to them, including community trips, films and social events.
“People were able to choose what activities they took part in and everybody had an individualised activity plan.” from the report
Safe medicines
Staff were trained and tested as competent before giving medicines. Records showed medicines given and the reasons when they were not given.
“People received their medicines safely. Medicines were stored safely and systems were in place to ensure medicine stock could be monitored and audited.” from the report
Learning from incidents
Accidents and incidents were recorded and reviewed. Staff took action to reduce the risk of similar events happening again.
“Accidents and incidents were documented and staff learnt from these to support people to remain as safe as possible.” from the report
Recruiting and retaining staff
minorThe manager said maintaining staffing levels through recruitment and retention had been a challenge during the year. The provider had put practical support and a staff referral scheme in place.
“Maintaining staffing levels by recruiting and retaining staff was something the registered manager said had been a challenge this year, particularly after our last inspection.” from the report
Some reviews had been overdue
minorA quality audit found that some people's reviews were overdue. The manager had completed these by the time of the inspection, and the care plans examined were up to date.
“The last audit identified that some people had overdue reviews.” from the report
- 01How do you currently calculate staffing levels for people's needs and planned activities?
- 02How do you make sure there are enough trained staff when someone is off sick?
- 03How do you check that mental capacity assessments and best-interest decisions are completed before decisions are made for someone?
- 04How do you make sure care plan reviews are completed on time?
- 05How are medicines audits carried out, and what happens if a medicines record is incomplete?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the ratings based on records, observations and conversations with people, relatives, the manager and staff. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 January 2017 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 Dimensions 1 Ridgewood Drive
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- October 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Dimensions 1 Ridgewood Drive →
- January 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Dimensions 1 Ridgewood Drive →
- December 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 January 2012.
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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Most charge £980 to £1,250 a week. 66 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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