CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Elmsmead
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse, there were enough staff and medicines were managed safely. However, a kitchen fire door was found propped open, and some recruitment checks could not initially be located.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had training to meet people's needs, including autism and positive behaviour support. People were supported with food, communication and healthcare, although health and social care reviews had not always happened regularly.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were calm, patient and respectful. People were supported to make choices, maintain privacy and dignity, and take part in celebrations and activities.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans included people's preferences, life histories and needs. Activities were tailored to individual interests, and people said they knew how to complain and felt listened to.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People and staff spoke positively about the management. The home used surveys, meetings and quality checks to identify improvements, including creating more communal quiet spaces.
What inspectors found, January 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care and improvements, but noted a fire-door problem and gaps in records.
This was an unannounced inspection on 18 and 30 October 2018. The inspector spoke with people living at the home, a relative and staff. They also checked care records, medicines, staffing, recruitment, training, incidents and quality checks.
The home supported up to 12 people with learning disabilities, including autism. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines support and staff who understood people's needs and anxiety. Care was described as kind, respectful and personalised, with activities based on people's interests.
The overall rating stayed Good. All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors noted improvements since the previous inspection, including redecoration and fewer incidents, but found some issues that needed attention.
Personalised care
Staff knew people well and care plans recorded their preferences, interests, life histories and support needs.
“Care plans were personalised to meet people's individual needs and preferences.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw calm and patient interactions. People's choices, privacy and dignity were respected.
“Staff were calm and patient when talking things through with people.” from the report
Reduced incidents
The home had improved how it supported people when they became anxious, and incidents had reduced.
“They had a large reduction in the level of incidents at the service because staff were being proactive when supporting people.” from the report
Activities and communication
People were supported with activities linked to their interests and were given information in different ways to help them understand.
“There was a range of opportunities for people and their families to participate in.” from the report
Listening and improvement
The management gathered people's views and acted on feedback, including developing additional communal spaces.
“The people were asked for their opinions and their voice was listened to.” from the report
Fire door left open
seriousA kitchen entrance fire door was propped open during the inspection. The manager obtained a door stop designed to close automatically in a fire.
“However, one fire door to the entrance of the kitchen was found propped open with a bar stool.” from the report
Recruitment records
needs fixingSome required recruitment checks were not available in the records at first. The missing information was provided during and after the inspection.
“However, not all these checks could be located during the inspection.” from the report
Health reviews
needs fixingPeople had not always received regular reviews from other health and social care professionals. The manager was trying to contact those professionals to bring reviews up to date.
“People had not always had regular reviews with other health and social care professionals.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure all fire doors are kept closed and checked regularly?
- 02How do you make sure recruitment checks are complete and easy to find for every staff member?
- 03How often are residents' health and social care needs reviewed by outside professionals?
- 04How will you continue to reduce incidents when people's anxiety increases?
- 05How are residents and families involved in reviewing care plans and choosing activities?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, and all five ratings remained Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 January 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.
Every inspection of Elmsmead
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 20 June 2014.
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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76 live-in carers within about two hours of Somerset
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 £1,370 a week. 62 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
“She was not phased by anything, she was adaptable, kind & gave us complete confidence to go away & not worry about a thing!”
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.