CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Dimensions Somerset The Maples
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, suitable risk assessments, safeguarding arrangements and safe medicine storage. They identified incomplete medicine records and undated creams, and recommended a review of medicine procedures.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not rated in this inspection report.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not rated in this inspection report, although inspectors described care as kind and compassionate.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- This question was not rated in this inspection report, although inspectors found staff understood people's individual communication and support needs.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found approachable management, quality checks, staff involvement and systems for learning from incidents and feedback.
What inspectors found, August 2023
Dimensions Somerset The Maples was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with some medicines records needing improvement.
The inspection took place without notice on 6 and 7 July 2023. One inspector and an experienced care assessor carried it out. They observed people and staff, spoke with five relatives and six staff, reviewed care, medicines and recruitment records, and received feedback from a professional.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe and well-led were both rated Good. Inspectors found enough staff, safe systems for risks and safeguarding, kind care, and support for people's choices, interests and communication needs.
Inspectors found some medicines records were not always completed correctly. Some creams had not been dated when opened, and some records had not been signed. They recommended that the home review its medicines procedures. Some areas of the building also showed deterioration that could make cleaning less effective.
Kind care
Inspectors found that staff treated people with kindness and protected their privacy and dignity.
“People received kind and compassionate care. Staff protected and respected people's privacy and dignity.” from the report
Staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Relatives also described a familiar core team who knew people well.
“There were enough staff available to meet people's needs.” from the report
Management and quality checks
The home had systems to monitor safety and care quality. Relatives and staff said managers were approachable and listened to feedback.
“There were systems in place to monitor and improve the quality and safety of care provision.” from the report
Medicine records
needs fixingSome handwritten medicine entries were not signed or countersigned. Staff had also not always signed records when applying creams, lotions or prescribed toothpastes.
“Some entries on people's MARs were handwritten. We found examples where these had not been signed by staff or countersigned.” from the report
Creams not dated
needs fixingTwo creams or lotions had not been dated when opened. This could make it unclear when they should be disposed of.
“Two of the tubes and bottles of creams we looked at had not been dated when opened.” from the report
Premises deterioration
minorSome parts of the home were deteriorating. The manager said the provider had a plan to address this.
“Some areas of the service were showing signs of deterioration, which could impact on the effectiveness of cleaning these areas.” from the report
- 01What has changed since the inspection to make sure every medicine record is signed and checked?
- 02How do you date creams and lotions when they are opened, and how do you track their expiry?
- 03Which areas of the home were deteriorating, and when will the planned work be completed?
- 04How will you support my relative's individual communication style, interests and goals?
- 05How will you keep me informed about changes in my relative's care and involve me in reviews?
This inspection rated Safe and Well-led only; the report does not give new ratings for Effective, Caring or Responsive. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 August 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, October 2018
Dimensions Somerset The Maples was rated Good overall, with Outstanding personalised support, care and community involvement.
This was an unannounced inspection on 12 and 19 July 2018. It was the first inspection of the home under the new provider. One inspector spoke with people, staff, relatives and health professionals, and checked care records, medicines, staff files, training, rotas, complaints and quality checks.
The inspectors found that people were safe and received effective, kind and respectful care. Staff were trained, medicines were managed safely, risks were assessed, and people had access to health professionals and suitable food.
The home was rated Outstanding for being responsive. Staff supported people to make choices, take part in activities, stay close to family and become involved in the local community. Overall, Good means the home met the CQC standards in the areas inspected, while responsive care was judged to be exceptionally strong.
Personalised goals
Staff found creative ways to help people achieve goals and try new experiences. This included community activities, holidays, music events and new hobbies.
“Staff were innovative in finding ways to support people to achieve and set new goals and expectations.” from the report
Community involvement
People were active in the local community and built relationships with schools, neighbours, churches and local organisations.
“People had a full diary of personal activities and hobbies however they were also widely involved with the local community” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw a cheerful atmosphere and staff who treated people with patience, kindness, privacy and dignity.
“People were cared for by kind and caring staff who went above and beyond what was expected of them” from the report
Communication support
Staff understood people's individual ways of communicating, including gestures, sounds, pictures and eye pointing. Care plans explained what different actions and body language meant.
“Each person had a communication profile in their care and support plans which gave staff some indication of how people communicated” from the report
Safe medicines and staffing
Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely by trained staff. Inspectors also found enough staff to meet people's needs.
“People's medicines were safely administered by staff who had received appropriate training to carry out the task.” from the report
Provider and staff changes
minorThere had been changes to the provider and some staff had left. Relatives and staff had some anxiety about these changes, although inspectors found that staffing was sufficient and the home remained stable.
“When the change in provider first happened a few staff left.” from the report
- 01How do you currently support my relative to communicate choices, pain, distress or disagreement?
- 02What provider or management changes have happened since the July 2018 inspection?
- 03How many permanent staff currently work in the home, and how often are agency staff used?
- 04What personal goals and community activities would you plan with my relative?
- 05How would my relative be helped to make a complaint if they could not use the complaints process independently?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall rating; it was the first inspection of the location under the new provider. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 October 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 The Maples
2 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Dimensions Somerset The Maples →
- October 2018GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Dimensions Somerset The Maples →
- 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.
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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.