CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Dimensions Somerset Northmead House
Not yet rated: the CQC has not published a rated inspection for this home, which is usual for a new registration.
What inspectors found, August 2018
Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, effective care, but safety needed improvement because recruitment checks were not up to date.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 11 and 13 July 2018. Inspectors met six people, staff and the manager, spoke with relatives and one professional, and reviewed care plans, risk assessments, recruitment files, training, medicine records and complaints.
The home was rated Good overall. Effective, caring, responsive and well-led were all rated Good. Safe was rated Requires Improvement because staff recruitment checks did not fully protect people from unsuitable staff.
Inspectors found enough staff on duty during the visit. Medicines were administered safely, risks were assessed, and safeguarding systems worked well. However, some consent records did not show people's or relatives' involvement, and privacy was not always protected. The report says this was the first inspection since the service transferred to Dimensions in April 2017.
Safeguarding and risk management
The home had safeguarding arrangements and acted promptly on concerns. Risks such as falls, transfers, eating and drinking, and emergency evacuation were assessed and reviewed.
“The provider had a proactive approach to anticipating and managing risks to people's health and safety.” from the report
Kind and patient staff
Staff knew people well and supported them with patience and respect, including people who could not communicate verbally.
“People were cared for by kind and caring staff.” from the report
Personalised communication
Care plans explained how each person communicated, including sounds, gestures, signing and pictures. Staff used this information to help people make choices.
“Each person had a communication profile in their care and support plans which gave staff some indication of how people communicated” from the report
Out-of-date recruitment checks
seriousAll eight staff files reviewed had references, but four DBS checks were from 2004 and four had no DBS check. Applications for updated checks had only been submitted in June 2018, despite the transfer in April 2017.
“The provider's recruitment processes had not fully minimised the risk of employing unsuitable staff.” from the report
Best-interest records
needs fixingWhere people could not consent to decisions, records did not show how people and their relatives had been involved. The manager said the paperwork would be updated.
“records showed that the provider had not involved people or their relatives in these decisions.” from the report
Privacy of records and bedrooms
needs fixingCare records and people's names could be seen when the office door was open. Inspectors also found that people outside could see into one bedroom, and the manager said action would be taken.
“During the inspection, we observed an open door to the main office, which was situated in a communal area.” from the report
Staffing and management changes
needs fixingStaff and relatives were worried about reduced staffing, agency staff and changes in management. The home had enough staff during the inspection, but relatives said they did not feel reassured that changes would not affect their loved ones.
“We are concerned about the staff reductions, they have to use agency staff” from the report
- 01Have updated DBS checks now been completed for every member of staff, and how are these checks monitored?
- 02What staffing levels are now in place, and how much agency staff is being used?
- 03How do you maintain continuity for people when staff or managers leave?
- 04How are people and their relatives involved in best-interest decisions, and where is this recorded?
- 05How are care records kept secure and how is privacy protected in bedrooms and communal areas?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions and providing the service's first CQC rating since its transfer to Dimensions in April 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 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 Dimensions Somerset Northmead House
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- August 2018Goodcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Dimensions Somerset Northmead House →
- April 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 April 2017.
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
76 live-in carers within about two hours of 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 £1,020 to £1,370 a week. 62 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
“She was not phased by anything, she was adaptable, kind & gave us complete confidence to go away & not worry about a thing!”
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.