CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Elreg House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- The home had systems for managing risks, medicines, accidents, staffing and equipment. However, inspectors found unpleasant odours in two bedrooms and recommended that greater attention be given to cleaning.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff were trained, supervised and supported. People were helped with eating and drinking, health checks and referrals to other services.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion. Staff supported people's privacy, dignity and everyday choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were detailed and personalised. The home provided activities, assessed communication needs and had a complaints procedure that people knew how to use.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had an open and improvement-focused manager. Audits, surveys and residents' meetings were used to monitor quality and gather people's views.
What inspectors found, December 2018
Rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, personalised care, but the Safe rating Requires Improvement because two bedrooms had unpleasant odours.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 19 November 2018. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and health professionals. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines, staffing, training, complaints and quality checks.
Overall, the home was rated Good. Care was described as kind, respectful and personalised. People's needs were assessed, care plans were reviewed, and people were supported with food, drink, activities and health care.
The Safe rating fell to Requires Improvement because two bedrooms had unpleasant odours. The home was otherwise clean and hygienic, and the manager said extra monitoring and possible replacement flooring would be considered. The other four ratings were Good.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff speak politely and respond well when people living with dementia were distressed or confused. People were supported to make choices and maintain their privacy.
“People were treated with kindness, respect and compassion.” from the report
Personalised care planning
Care plans included people's routines, life histories, communication needs and support needs. Records were checked and reviewed regularly.
“Care plans were person centred and individualised to show the care each person needed.” from the report
Good safety systems
Risks such as falls, poor nutrition and pressure areas were assessed and linked to care plans. Medicines, staffing, fire safety and equipment were also checked.
“The provider ensured safe care was provided to people.” from the report
Strong leadership and monitoring
The manager was described as open to improvement, and staff said they felt supported. The home used audits, surveys and meetings to review its service.
“The service was well led with a culture which promoted staff learning and development as well as person centred care.” from the report
Odours in two bedrooms
needs fixingTwo bedrooms had unpleasant odours. One odour could also be noticed in nearby communal areas. The manager said extra monitoring would take place and replacement flooring was being considered in one room.
“The home was found to be clean and hygienic apart from unpleasant odours in two bedrooms.” from the report
- 01What action has been completed to remove the unpleasant odours from the two bedrooms?
- 02Was replacement flooring installed or is it still being considered?
- 03How are cleaning standards and room odours checked now, and how are the results recorded?
- 04How do you make sure care plans remain up to date after falls, accidents or changes in a person's needs?
- 05How will you keep families informed if there are concerns about safety, health or the quality of care?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, including all five CQC questions, care and accommodation for up to 32 older people. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 December 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 Elreg House
4 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Inadequate to Good.
- December 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2016Goodup from InadequateSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- October 2015Inadequatestayed InadequateSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2015InadequateSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- November 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 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.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 January 2011.
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.