CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Drakelow House Residential Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-managed care, but activities and future care planning needed attention.
This was an unannounced inspection on 03 December 2019. The inspector spoke with seven people, three relatives and staff, and reviewed care plans, risk assessments, medicines systems, safeguarding records and management records.
The home was rated Good overall and was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe, staff were kind, medicines were managed safely and healthcare needs were monitored.
There were some areas to improve. Staffing was at a minimum on the inspection day, five people wanted more activities, and future wishes and spirituality care plans were not routinely completed. The CQC made a recommendation about advance care planning.
People felt safe
People said they felt safe, and staff had been trained to recognise and report safeguarding concerns.
“People were supported by staff who had been trained to identify and report safeguarding concerns.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw a relaxed atmosphere where staff listened to people, respected privacy and supported individual choices.
“People were cared for by compassionate staff and who responded to them as unique individuals.” from the report
Good care planning
Care plans reflected people's needs and were reviewed as those needs changed. People and relatives were involved in planning care.
“Care plans were kept up to date and reflected people's needs accurately.” from the report
Open management
Staff described the management team as accessible, and people, relatives and staff had opportunities to give feedback.
“Staff worked in an open and friendly culture.” from the report
Minimum staffing on inspection day
needs fixingOnly two staff were on duty on the inspection day. Inspectors did not find that this reduced the quality of care, and a new staff member was expected to join after safety checks.
“There were two staff on duty on the day of the inspection. However, this did not appear to impact on the quality of care.” from the report
More activities wanted
minorFive people said they wanted more activities and events. Management said it hoped to do more when staffing levels increased.
“Five people told us they wanted more activities and events to enjoy within the home.” from the report
Future wishes not always recorded
needs fixingFuture wishes and spirituality plans were not routinely completed. The CQC recommended creating opportunities for people to make advance care plans if they wished.
“Future wishes and spirituality care plans were not routinely completed to help guide staff about people's preferences.” from the report
Advocacy information
minorThe home could provide more information about local advocacy services, so people could get support to express their views if needed.
“The service could provide people with information about local advocacy services, to ensure they could access support to express their views if they needed to.” from the report
- 01How many staff are normally on duty during the day and at night, and what happens when staffing is at the minimum?
- 02What activities are now available, and how are residents' interests used to plan them?
- 03How do you record residents' future wishes, spirituality and end of life preferences?
- 04How can residents access an independent advocacy service if they need help expressing their views?
- 05Has all planned Mental Capacity Act training now been completed for staff?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall quality and safety of care; all ratings were reviewed and remained Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 December 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, June 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found caring, safe and well-managed care, with clear improvements since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced inspection over three days in April 2017. The inspectors spoke with people living there, a relative, care workers, managers and visiting professionals. They examined care records, staff files, medicines records, training records, safety checks and quality monitoring.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough care workers for the 12 people living there at the time, safe medicines systems, suitable care plans and positive relationships between people and care workers.
The home had previously been rated Requires Improvement in July 2016 and had breached four regulations. At this inspection, inspectors found that the required improvements had been made and that the provider was meeting all the relevant requirements.
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw caring and respectful interactions. People and relatives spoke positively about the care workers and management.
“We saw many positive and caring interactions between care workers and people who used the service to make sure people's wellbeing was promoted.” from the report
Safer medicines
Medicines were stored and administered safely. Records were complete, and designated care workers had medicines competency checks.
“Systems to make sure the safekeeping and administration of medicines were followed and monitored were in place and reviewed regularly.” from the report
Staff preparation
Care workers received induction, training, supervision and appraisals to support their work.
“Care workers received an employment induction, regular supervision and training to help make sure people were provided with care and support that met their needs.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans included people's health needs, preferences, routines and ways to support their independence.
“Care plans were reviewed annually or more frequently if the person experienced any health changes.” from the report
Improved management checks
The provider had introduced better audits and monitoring after the previous inspection. The earlier problems with oversight had been addressed.
“At this inspection we found the registered provider/manager had made improvements in this area and was meeting the requirements of the regulation.” from the report
Care workers also did housekeeping
minorStaffing was judged sufficient for the 12 people living there, but care workers also prepared meals, did laundry and cleaned. The provider said staffing would increase if people's numbers or needs rose.
“Care workers were still responsible for the housekeeping tasks, such as meal preparation, cooking, laundering, ironing and cleaning in addition to their daily care tasks.” from the report
Some refresher training was delayed
minorPlanned refresher training in end of life care and infection control had been cancelled by the training provider. New dates had not yet been confirmed at the inspection.
“However the training provider had cancelled both planned training session and the provider was awaiting confirmation dates from the local authority end of life coordinator.” from the report
- 01How many care workers are on duty for the current number of people, and when would staffing hours increase if people's needs changed?
- 02How are housekeeping tasks shared with care duties during busy times?
- 03Has the delayed refresher training in end of life care and infection control now taken place?
- 04What activities are currently offered, and how do you find out what each person wants to do?
- 05How are relatives involved in care reviews and decisions about changing care needs?
This was an unannounced inspection of all five key questions and was carried out to check improvements after the previous Requires Improvement inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 June 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 Drakelow House Residential Home
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Drakelow House Residential Home →
- June 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Drakelow House Residential Home →
- September 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- August 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 December 2010.
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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