CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Eldonian House Care Centre
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control during a COVID-19 outbreak, with some concerns about storing PPE and cleaning equipment.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 26 January 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, and asked about staffing pressures linked to COVID-19.
The home had arranged communal areas to support social distancing. It had enough PPE, regular staff testing, vaccination records and procedures for safe admissions. Testing identified an outbreak, and people and staff were isolated to reduce the spread.
Inspectors were only somewhat assured about the layout and hygiene practices of the premises. Large amounts of PPE and cleaning equipment were stored in empty rooms and were not always easy to access. The provider was signposted to improve this.
The service was inspected but not rated. This report does not give an overall quality rating or ratings for the other four areas.
Social distancing
Communal areas and activity rooms had been rearranged to support social distancing.
“The provider had rearranged communal areas and separate activity rooms to provide social distancing and made good use of the space available to them.” from the report
Outbreak management
Testing identified the outbreak, and people and staff were isolated to help prevent infection spreading.
“Testing identified an outbreak effectively; people were isolated to prevent infection spread and staff were supported to remain at home until clear of infection.” from the report
PPE and testing
There was enough PPE for staff and visitors, with testing in place for staff and records to monitor results.
“There was enough PPE available for staff and visitors. There were PPE stations throughout the home, and bins which were routinely emptied.” from the report
Safe admissions
The home checked for a recent negative COVID-19 result before agreeing to admit someone and paused admissions during the outbreak.
“The service had an admittance procedure, this included ensuring a recent negative result for COVID-19 had been recorded before admittance was agreed.” from the report
Storage of equipment
minorPPE and cleaning equipment were stored in empty rooms in a way that was not always good practice and could make access difficult. Inspectors signposted the provider to consider a better storage method.
“There were large quantities of stock and PPE which was stored in a way which did not always reflect good practice in empty rooms, which could be difficult to access.” from the report
- 01How are PPE and cleaning equipment stored now, and can staff access them quickly?
- 02What infection control arrangements are currently in place for visitors?
- 03Are admissions currently open, and what checks are completed before someone moves in?
- 04How often are staff tested for COVID-19, and how are results monitored?
- 05What arrangements are in place if there is another COVID-19 outbreak?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated and the other key areas were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 February 2022 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, May 2018
Eldonian House Care Centre is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and improvements since the previous inspection, although some dementia-friendly changes were unfinished.
This was an unannounced inspection on 24 and 25 April 2018. Inspectors observed care, spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals, and checked care records, staff files, medicines records and management records.
The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found medicines were managed safely, there were enough staff, people received suitable food and healthcare, and staff treated people with kindness and respect.
The home had improved since the previous inspection in April 2017. Problems with medicines records and storage, and with quality checks, had been addressed. The home was clean and well maintained, and people had activities, trips out and ways to raise concerns.
Some smaller points remained. Not all visitors regularly signed in, a menu was not displayed, and some items bought to make the home more suitable for people with dementia had not yet been put up or used.
Safe medicines management
Inspectors found clear medicines records, regular stock checks and audits. Staff who administered medicines had training and yearly competency checks.
“We found that medicines were administered and managed safely in the home.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff were observed supporting people gently and attentively. People and relatives said staff listened, understood people's needs and treated them well.
“The staff presented as caring, kind and knowledgeable about people's needs.” from the report
Clean and safe surroundings
Bedrooms, bathrooms and shared areas were clean and free from odours. Safety checks and equipment servicing were up to date.
“The home was odour free, clean and kept hygienic.” from the report
Activities and community access
People could take part in games, crafts, music, picnics and trips out. Transport helped people attend community activities and dementia-friendly cinema sessions.
“Activities were provided regularly for people, such as games, crafts and musical entertainment.” from the report
Visitor sign-in
minorThe visitor book was not regularly used by everyone. The registered manager said this would be addressed with staff.
“However we saw that this was not regularly used by all visitors.” from the report
Dementia-friendly changes unfinished
minorSome items bought to make the home more suitable for people living with dementia had not yet been put up or used. Further environmental improvements were also planned.
“Since the last inspection the registered provider and the registered manager had made some improvements and had bought a lot of items, such as pictures, a memory case, but these were yet to be put up or used.” from the report
No daily menu displayed
minorPeople were offered food that met their needs and preferences, but the menu for the day was not displayed to help people know what was being served.
“A menu wasn't displayed to inform people of the meal for the day.” from the report
- 01Have all the dementia-friendly items, including pictures, the memory case, the date board and menu photographs, now been put up and used?
- 02How do you make sure all visitors sign in and out of the home?
- 03What staffing levels are in place during busy periods, and how do you respond if staff are frequently very busy?
- 04How often are medicines records, stock and administration audited now, and what happens if an issue is found?
- 05How are relatives involved in care planning, activities and decisions about end-of-life wishes?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions and the overall rating; the previous inspection was in April 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 May 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 Eldonian House Care Centre
2 rated inspections over a year: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- May 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2017Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 May 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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