CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Driftwood Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found staff understood safeguarding, risks were assessed and there were enough staff. Medicines and equipment were generally managed safely, but written medicine details from families or prescribers were not then being routinely received.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff received induction, relevant training and competency checks for complex health needs. Inspectors found good links with health professionals, but fluid balances were not routinely totalled and one young person had not been weighed for some time.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were described and observed as kind, attentive and respectful. They understood young people's communication, preferences and needs, and families were welcomed as partners in care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were detailed and personalised, and staff supported young people to take part in activities and access the community. The home had systems for communication with families and for handling concerns, but end-of-life care planning needed more development.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The management was visible and approachable, staff morale was high and quality checks were used to identify and follow up improvements. Independent monthly visits also provided oversight.
What inspectors found, November 2018
Driftwood Lodge was rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and well-organised care, with some records and planning needing improvement.
This was the first full CQC inspection since the home opened at this location in November 2017. Inspectors visited unannounced on 23 October 2018 and also carried out work on 25 October 2018. They observed care, checked records and spoke with staff, families and health professionals.
The home supported children and young people with complex physical disabilities and health conditions. Inspectors found enough suitably trained staff, safe medicines systems, detailed care plans and good links with health professionals. Staff knew the young people well and provided kind, personal care. Families and professionals spoke positively about the service.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means the inspectors found the service met the expected standard in each area at the time of the inspection. They also identified some improvements needed, including clearer moving and handling guidance, more complete medicines information and further planning for end-of-life care.
Kind and personal care
Staff knew the young people well, including their ways of communicating and their preferences. Families said children were happy to attend and felt reassured by the care.
“The service had a strong person centred culture that focused on the needs of young people.” from the report
Staff training
Staff received training for complex needs such as epilepsy, breathing difficulties and feeding tubes. Their skills were checked before they worked independently.
“In addition to training competency assessments were also undertaken with staff on areas relevant to the roles that they were employed to perform” from the report
Safe care systems
Risks, equipment, incidents, infection control and medicines were monitored. Inspectors saw medicines being given in line with professional practice and records matched the amounts checked.
“Medication was managed safely.” from the report
Activities and community access
Young people were supported to take part in activities suited to their needs and interests, both at the home and in the community.
“The service had good community links and enabled the young people to lead full lives.” from the report
Open management
The management was visible and staff said communication and support were good. An independent visitor reviewed the service each month and action points were followed up.
“There was an effective quality assurance system in place to make sure that any areas for improvement were identified and addressed.” from the report
Moving and handling guidance
needs fixingInspectors saw that one young person looked very unsteady during mobility support and said staff needed clearer guidance. The manager said retraining and a review of the risk assessment and equipment were already under way.
“We noted that the young person looked very unsteady and discussed the need for staff to be provided with clearer guidance.” from the report
Medicine information
needs fixingThe home did not receive written medicine details from families or prescribers when children arrived for respite. The manager said this would change in future.
“However, the service did not receive written details of young people's medicines from the family or prescriber” from the report
Food and weight records
needs fixingStaff recorded food and fluids but did not routinely total fluid balances. One young person living at the home had not been weighed for some time, although this was addressed immediately.
“Records of food and fluid intake were maintained; however, staff did not routinely total the fluid balance.” from the report
Care planning
needs fixingBest-interest documentation for one young person needed to be extended for personal care. The home also needed to develop its end-of-life care pathway and expand its safe-touch policy.
“The registered manager was aware of the need to develop palliative care pathways but was sensitive to the issues and was working closely with families” from the report
Recruitment records
minorTwo of the three staff files checked did not contain full employment histories. The manager had identified this and changed the paperwork so it could be followed up.
“Full employment histories were in place for two of the three peoples records we looked at.” from the report
- 01What changes have you made to moving and handling guidance and staff retraining since the inspection?
- 02How do you now check written medicines information when a child arrives for a respite stay?
- 03How are fluid balances and regular weights recorded and reviewed?
- 04What progress has been made with end-of-life care planning, best-interest records and the safe-touch policy?
This was the first comprehensive CQC inspection since the home opened at this location and it also looked at the domiciliary care service operating from the same location. This explanation was written from the published report of 29 November 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 Driftwood Lodge
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- November 2018Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 27 November 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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35 live-in carers within about an hour of Essex
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Most charge £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 25 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
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