CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Eastbourne Care Home
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, January 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and safe arrangements for visiting, admissions, testing and protective equipment.
This was a targeted inspection on 9 December 2020. It was carried out in response to coronavirus outbreaks in care homes and focused only on infection prevention and control.
Inspectors found systems for safe visiting, including visitor screening and a visiting pod. Social distancing was encouraged, communal areas had been changed, and staff had training in infection control and using protective equipment.
The home had arrangements for safe admissions and regular coronavirus testing for people using the service and staff. Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed, but they did not give a rating.
Safe visiting
Visitors were screened before entering, and a visiting pod allowed people to meet their loved ones more safely.
“A visiting pod had been built to enable visitors to speak with their loved ones safely.” from the report
Protective equipment
Staff wore protective equipment and had received training in infection prevention and its correct use.
“Training in infection prevention and control measures and the appropriate use of PPE had taken place.” from the report
Testing and admissions
There were systems for admitting people safely and a regular coronavirus testing programme for people and staff.
“A regular programme of Covid-19 testing was in place for people and the staff team.” from the report
Infection control systems
Inspectors were assured that the home had up-to-date infection control arrangements and could manage potential outbreaks.
“We were assured that the provider's infection prevention and control policy was up to date.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visitors currently screened before entering the home?
- 02Is the visiting pod still available, and what visiting arrangements are now in place?
- 03How often are people living here and staff tested for Covid-19 or other infections?
- 04What training have staff received in infection prevention and the safe use of PPE?
- 05How would the home manage an infection outbreak or safely admit a new resident?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control practices only, and the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 January 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, December 2017
Eastbourne Care Home rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-managed care, with some care-record and complaint-handling issues.
The CQC made an unannounced inspection over 11, 26 and 30 October 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living there, relatives and staff. They observed care, meals and activities, checked eight care records and four recruitment records, and looked around the building.
The overall rating was Good. Each of the five areas was also rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they felt safe, staff knew them well, medicines were managed safely and there were enough staff to meet people's needs.
Inspectors found some areas to improve. Assessments did not contain enough detail, which led to many repetitive care plans. One sling had no label and was removed straight away. Two relatives said older concerns had not been resolved, although the management team said it would investigate them.
People felt safe
People and relatives told inspectors that care was safe and met people's needs. Staff understood safeguarding and knew how to report concerns.
“People were happy and told us they felt safe.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely. Staff who gave medicines had training and competency checks.
“Medicines were closely managed and this ensured people received their medication exactly as prescribed.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff developed warm relationships with people and understood their personal histories, preferences and dislikes. Inspectors saw privacy and dignity being respected.
“This is people's home and we always remember that we are the guests here” from the report
Good management
The management team sought views from people, relatives and staff. Regular audits and action plans were used to improve the service.
“Robust and frequent quality assurance processes ensured the safety, effectiveness and standards at the service were maintained.” from the report
Equipment labelling
needs fixingOne toileting sling had no label or serial number, so inspectors could not confirm whether it had been included in the external safety check. It was removed and replaced immediately.
“We found that one toileting sling had no label or serial number so we could not ascertain whether this had been included in the recent check” from the report
Older complaints
needs fixingTwo relatives said concerns raised before the current provider was registered had not been resolved. The manager said these concerns had not been brought to their attention and agreed to investigate them.
“Two of the relatives told us they had raised concerns over a year ago but felt nothing had changed.” from the report
Best-interest records
minorRecords showed best-interest decisions, but the template did not make it easy to record who had taken part in discussions. Managers agreed to amend it.
“However, the template needed to be amended so staff could more readily record who had been involved in discussions.” from the report
- 01What fuller admission assessment tool is now used, and how does it record a person's past experiences and risks?
- 02How do you check that all slings and other moving equipment are labelled and included in safety checks?
- 03What happened to the older complaints raised by relatives before the current provider was registered?
- 04Has the best-interest decision template been amended to record everyone involved in discussions?
- 05Have the planned recruitment of a deputy manager, clinical lead and additional care staff been completed?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions and was the first inspection since the new provider registered to operate the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 December 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 Eastbourne Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- January 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- December 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 5 October 2016.
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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36 live-in carers within about an hour of Darlington
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 £970 to £1,230 a week. 35 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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