CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Drumconner Lancing
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, August 2018
Drumconner Lancing was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with earlier problems improved.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 10 July 2018. Two inspectors and an expert-by-experience spoke with people, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff records, audits and incidents. They also observed care, lunch and medicines being given.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, trained staff and coordinated healthcare. People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Care plans included people's preferences, and people had access to activities, trips and individual support.
The previous inspection rated the home Requires Improvement and found breaches involving medicines, consent and restrictions, healthcare guidance, activities and leadership. Inspectors said the provider had followed its action plan, made significant improvements and was no longer in breach of the regulations.
Safe medicines support
Inspectors found that medicines were given by nurses whose competence was checked. Guidance was available, including for medicines given when needed and fluids requiring thickener.
“There were safe systems in place to store, dispense, administer and dispose of people's medicines.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people's needs and preferences and offered emotional as well as practical support. People were treated with dignity and their privacy was maintained.
“People were supported by kind and caring staff who knew their preferences and needs well and who could offer both practical and emotional support.” from the report
Personalised activities
People could choose from group activities, clubs, trips and quieter activities in their rooms. Staff also spent time with people who could not join group activities.
“There was a wide-range of activities to meet people's different preferences and interests.” from the report
Improved leadership
The home had a registered manager, experienced managers and quality checks. People, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals gave positive feedback about the management.
“Quality assurance processes ensured a good oversight of systems and processes.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you now check that medicines are given safely, including medicines given when needed and fluids that require thickener?
- 02How are decisions made and recorded when a person may lack capacity or needs restrictions on their freedom?
- 03How do you make sure people who stay in their rooms or cannot join group activities receive regular stimulation and company?
- 04How often are care plans reviewed, and how are relatives involved when a person's needs change?
- 05What has changed at the home since this 2018 inspection, including in its leadership and staffing?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions; the previous inspection had rated the home Requires Improvement and found breaches that inspectors said had been resolved. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 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.
What inspectors found, June 2017
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care but concerns with medicines, consent, activities, and management stability.
Inspectors visited the home unannounced on 27 March 2017 to check the quality of care and compliance with legal standards. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff, and reviewed records and observations.
People said they felt safe and cared for by kind staff. The home had improved since the last inspection in 2015, especially in training and care planning. However, inspectors found medicines were not always given safely or stored properly, and some people did not get medicines they needed.
Consent was not always handled correctly. When people could not make decisions, relatives or legal representatives were not always involved, and some legal safeguards were missing. Activities were available but not enough for people who needed one-to-one support, risking social isolation.
The management team had recently left, raising concerns about ongoing leadership. Quality checks were in place, and people and staff felt listened to, but the home still needs to improve in several areas to meet all legal requirements.
Access to healthcare
People had support from doctors and therapists when needed, and care plans reflected health needs.
“Without question, they would call the doctor if needed.” from the report
Medicines management
seriousSome people did not receive essential medicines, and medicines were sometimes stored insecurely, posing safety risks.
“None of the person's medicines had been given on any occasion for at least three weeks and records had been marked as refused and destroyed.” from the report
Management instability
needs fixingThe registered manager and other key managers had left, causing concerns about ongoing leadership.
“Following the inspection we were informed that both the clinical lead and the manager had left employment.” from the report
- 01How does the home ensure that all medicines are given safely and on time?
- 02What steps are taken to involve relatives or legal representatives in decisions when a person cannot consent?
- 03How does the home support people who need one-to-one activities to prevent social isolation?
- 04Who is currently managing the home and how is leadership being maintained after recent staff changes?
- 05How does the home respond to call bells and what improvements have been made to reduce waiting times?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 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 Drumconner Lancing
3 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- August 2018Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2016Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 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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28 live-in carers within about an hour of West Sussex
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 £1,170 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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.