CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Dove Court Care Home
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home used PPE safely, supported testing and social distancing, maintained cleanliness and had an up-to-date infection prevention and control policy.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, March 2021
Dove Court Care Home was inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 4 March 2021. It focused on infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors found that staff had infection control training and used personal protective equipment correctly. They were assured that the home followed testing, shielding, social distancing, cleaning and hygiene arrangements.
The home supported people to keep in touch with relatives during lockdown. Staff also provided activities, exercise, one-to-one support and help with communication when face masks made this more difficult.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the visit did not give an overall rating or full ratings for the five areas of care.
Infection control
Staff had training and followed current infection prevention guidance. PPE was used correctly to reduce the risk of cross infection.
“Staff had received infection control training and followed up to date infection prevention and control guidance to help people stay safe.” from the report
Testing and hygiene
People and staff were tested regularly. The home increased cleaning of frequently touched surfaces and supported handwashing and social distancing.
“Cleaning records showed increased cleaning of frequent touch points such as door handles and light switches.” from the report
Support during lockdown
Staff helped people stay connected with family and friends through telephone and video calls. They also provided activities and individual support for people staying in their rooms.
“During lockdown, staff assisted people to keep in touch with family and friends through telephone and video calls.” from the report
Communication support
Staff used visual cue cards and taught people simple sign language to help communication when face masks made it harder to understand speech.
“Staff used pocket sized symbol/cue cards to aid communication with people who were hard of hearing or struggled because of the use of face masks.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What infection prevention and control arrangements are in place now, and how often are frequently touched areas cleaned?
- 02How are visitors currently tested or managed to reduce infection risks?
- 03How does the home support people who are hard of hearing or find communication difficult when staff wear face masks?
- 04What activities and one-to-one support are available for people who spend time in their rooms?
- 05How have visiting arrangements changed since the plans to resume visits from 8 March 2021?
This was an announced, targeted inspection of infection prevention and control practices only; the service was inspected but not rated and the report does not give ratings for the other areas of care. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 March 2021 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, September 2019
Rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found exceptionally caring, responsive and well-led support, with safe and effective care rated Good.
This was an unannounced, scheduled comprehensive inspection on 11 March 2019. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional. They observed care and checked care records, staff files, medicines, training, complaints, safety records and management checks.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Effective. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm, medicines were managed safely, staffing was reviewed, and people's health, dietary and support needs were met. People had their risks assessed and their care plans were reviewed.
The home was rated Outstanding for Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found kind and respectful relationships, personalised support, many activities and strong leadership. The overall Outstanding rating was unchanged from the previous inspection, published in September 2016.
Kind and compassionate staff
Relatives gave very strong praise for the kindness and emotional support provided by staff. Inspectors saw positive relationships and respectful interactions.
“Relatives we spoke with couldn't praise the kindness of staff highly enough.” from the report
Personal choice and activities
People were supported to follow their interests, try new things and stay connected with the local community. Activities were linked to wellbeing and a sense of purpose.
“Activities formed an extremely important part of people's lives and had a positive impact on their wellbeing.” from the report
Personalised communication
The home adapted information and support to help people remain independent. Examples included pictorial guides and large-print care records.
“The service had taken innovative steps to meet people's information and communication needs over and above complying with the Accessible Information Standard.” from the report
Food was not consistently liked
minorPeople had mixed views about the food. Some praised it, but one person said meat and vegetables could be tough or hard. The provider said this was taken up with the butcher.
“Meat can be tough, and vegetables can be hard. I've been told it is the modern way!” from the report
Some communication difficulties
minorTwo people mentioned language difficulties when communicating with staff. The manager said extra support was being provided to help staff whose first language was not English.
“There are a few language problems. I manage to get through though” from the report
Training about racist jokes
needs fixingInspectors identified a staff training requirement concerning racist jokes and discussed it with the manager, who said it would be addressed.
“We observed a staff training requirement around racist jokes and discussed this with the registered manager.” from the report
- 01What action was taken after inspectors identified a staff training requirement around racist jokes?
- 02How do you check that staff communication is clear for people who may struggle to understand different accents or languages?
- 03How do you respond when residents say that meat or vegetables are tough or hard?
- 04How are staffing levels adjusted when people's needs change or staff are unexpectedly absent?
- 05Which activities and community links would be available for my relative based on their interests and abilities?
This was an unannounced scheduled comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions and both the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 September 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.
Every inspection of Dove Court Care Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Outstanding rating throughout.
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2019Outstandingstayed OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- September 2016OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- September 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
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 £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“She is such a warm and gentle person while being professional and competent at the same time.”
“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.”
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.