CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Dimensions Newton House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, November 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, person-centred care and effective management, with medicine storage checks needing improvement.
The home provides respite care and personal care for up to five people. Four people were staying there when inspectors visited. The inspection took place on 10 and 11 October 2022.
Inspectors toured the home, observed care, spoke with one person, five staff and six relatives, and checked safety, recruitment, training, medicines, infection control and management records. They found people were treated with respect, supported to make choices and helped to remain as independent as possible.
The home was rated Good overall, with Safe and Well-led both rated Good. This was not a full inspection. The other three ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection, which was also rated Good.
Person-centred care
Care plans reflected people's wishes and preferences. Staff supported people to make choices and take part in activities they wanted.
“People received person-centred care; we observed staff acting in a person-centred way and care plans reflected people's wishes and preferences.” from the report
Respect and independence
People's privacy and dignity were respected. Staff supported people in the least restrictive way and helped them remain as independent as possible.
“People's privacy and dignity was respected and people were involved with decisions about their care.” from the report
Staffing and continuity
There were enough staff for people's needs, and the home had not used agency staff for a prolonged period. This gave people a consistent team who knew them well.
“The service had not used agency staff for a prolonged period of time.” from the report
Open management
Relatives and staff could raise concerns with managers. The home also used feedback forums and quality checks to monitor the service.
“The management team operated an open-door policy; staff and relatives told us they could speak to the management team when they needed to.” from the report
Medicine temperature records
needs fixingTemperature checks for medicines stored in bedrooms were not always completed. The management team introduced records after inspectors raised this, and inspectors found no harm had occurred.
“The management team introduced temperature check records in response to our feedback, we found no harm had been caused to people.” from the report
- 01How are medicine storage temperatures checked now, and who reviews the records?
- 02How will you make sure staffing levels continue to match each person's needs during respite stays?
- 03What refurbishment work was identified, and what progress has been made since the inspection?
- 04How are people and relatives involved in decisions about care and activities during each stay?
- 05How do you make sure the staff team understands each person's preferences when they return for respite care?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were carried forward from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 November 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, November 2017
Dimensions Newton House was rated Good, with safe, kind and personalised respite care and one medicines reporting error identified.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 26 September 2017. The inspector spoke with people staying at the home, relatives, managers and staff. They reviewed care records, medicines, staff files, training, audits, complaints and other records.
The home provides respite care for people with learning disabilities and/or physical disabilities. It can accommodate up to five people at one time, although 22 people used the service and three people were staying during the inspection.
Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines processes, suitable risk assessments and staff who understood safeguarding. Care was effective, kind and personalised. People were supported to make choices, stay independent and take part in activities they enjoyed.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as at the previous inspection. Inspectors said the service met all relevant fundamental standards.
Safe staffing and risk planning
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people’s needs in a relaxed and unhurried way. Risk assessments covered areas such as moving and handling, epilepsy and sensory impairments.
“People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs in a relaxed and unhurried manner.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors saw staff being attentive, patient and caring, while respecting privacy and dignity.
“From our observations, we could see that people were relaxed in the presence of staff and appeared to be happy.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans described people’s routines, preferences, communication and support needs. Staff knew people well and helped them make day-to-day choices.
“Care plans identified what was important to people and gave guidance for staff about what made a good day for people, and what made a bad day.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were encouraged to be as independent as possible and were supported in the least restrictive way. Some people were supported towards independent living.
“This vision was put into practice, as people were supported to be as independent as they could be.” from the report
Medicines error was not identified promptly
needs fixingOne medicines error that should have been reported was not picked up because the Operations Director had left the post. Managers dealt with it immediately after inspectors pointed it out.
“However, due to the Operations Director leaving their post, one medicines error which should have been reported had not been picked up.” from the report
- 01How will you make sure medicines errors are identified and reported promptly, including during management changes?
- 02How will you assess and support my relative’s particular health needs, such as epilepsy, tube feeding or food allergies?
- 03How will my relative and our family be involved in preparing and reviewing their personalised care plan?
- 04How will you support my relative’s preferred communication method, including Makaton, signs or non-verbal communication?
- 05What activities and community opportunities could my relative take part in during their respite stay?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions and the overall quality of the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 November 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 Newton House
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
25 live-in carers within about an hour of Bath and North East Somerset
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 £1,030 to £1,320 a week. 20 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She enabled mum to lead a high quality life in her own home until the very end and Lena and her family became close personal friends to me and my family.”
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.