CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Farmborough Court Intermediate Care Service
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found safe staffing and recruitment, appropriate risk checks, safe medicines management and effective infection control.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager used audits, feedback and investigations to monitor quality and improve care. Staff views about management support were mixed, and there was no registered manager in post.
What inspectors found, May 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe care and effective management, but there was no registered manager and staff views about support were mixed.
This was an unannounced inspection on 28 February 2023. One inspector visited two occupied units. The other two units were empty. At the time, 26 people were using the service.
The inspection looked at Safe and Well-led. Both were rated Good. Inspectors found safe recruitment, enough staff, safe medicines management, infection control and checks on risks. People and relatives spoke positively about the care.
The manager used audits and feedback to improve the service. However, there was no registered manager in post at the time. Staff gave mixed views about how supported they felt and whether their suggestions were heard.
The overall rating was Good, the same as at the previous inspection published in September 2018. The other three key questions were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were used when calculating the overall rating.
Safe staffing and recruitment
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. New staff had references and criminal record checks before employment.
“Staff were recruited safely and there was enough staff to safely support people.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were checked, stored securely and given by trained staff whose competence was assessed regularly.
“The manager carried out regular checks on people's medicines to make sure they were being administered in line with national best practice, the provider's policy and prescribing instructions.” from the report
Positive care experiences
People and relatives were very positive about the care. Relatives described improvements in people's lives after moving to the home.
“People and their relatives were very positive about the care provided.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The manager carried out regular checks and used feedback, investigations and audits to identify improvements.
“The service had a quality assurance system which was used to identify positive practice as well as areas for improvement.” from the report
No registered manager
needs fixingThere was no registered manager in post during the inspection. The manager intended to start the application process, but the report does not say when this would be completed.
“At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.” from the report
Mixed staff views about support
needs fixingSome staff said they did not feel well supported and that their workload was very large. Others said team leaders were supportive.
“I don't feel very supported as my workload is very big, I feel my suggestions aren't always listened to,” from the report
- 01When will the manager apply to become the registered manager, and who is responsible for the service until then?
- 02How are you responding to staff concerns about workload and not feeling supported?
- 03How will you assess my relative's rehabilitation needs and measure their progress during the usual six-week stay?
- 04How will you keep relatives updated about my relative's progress and involve us in care planning?
- 05Which ratings from the 2018 inspection apply to Effective, Caring and Responsive, and when will these areas next be inspected?
This was an unannounced inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other three ratings were not inspected and the previous ratings were used for the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 May 2023 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, November 2020
Farmborough Court Intermediate Care Service was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection prevention and control measures.
This was a targeted inspection on 9 November 2020. It looked only at infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic. The home was being used for people discharged from hospital with a positive Covid-19 status.
Inspectors visited the Clarence and Windsor units. There were 12 people on Clarence and none on Windsor. They found visitor checks, personal protective equipment, safe admissions, separate staffing and good cleaning arrangements.
The inspectors said they were assured that the home met good infection prevention and control guidelines. This inspection did not give an overall quality rating, and the Safe question was recorded as inspected but not rated.
Visitor infection checks
Visitors had to use personal protective equipment, complete a track and trace form and have their temperature checked before entering.
“All visitors had to wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE), complete a track and trace form and had their temperature checked prior to entering the home.” from the report
Separate arrangements
The inspected units were separated from the rest of the home. Staff and people did not move between these units and the rest of the home.
“There was no movement of staff or people between the Windsor and Clarence units and the rest of the home.” from the report
Cleaning and PPE
Personal protective equipment was available, staff had infection control training and extra cleaning covered frequently touched surfaces.
“PPE was readily available and clear signage was in place regarding the correct use of PPE.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the environment very clean and saw regular infection control audits.
“The environment was very clean. Additional cleaning was taking place including of frequently touched surfaces.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are people and staff tested for Covid-19, and how quickly are results acted on?
- 02How are staff kept separate from other units if a person needs support outside the Clarence or Windsor units?
- 03How often are frequently touched surfaces cleaned, and how are the cleaning checks recorded?
- 04How are people supported to keep in touch with relatives when visiting restrictions apply?
- 05How are staff members' individual infection risks reviewed and managed?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control in the Clarence and Windsor units only; it did not rate the overall service. This explanation was written from the published report of 14 November 2020 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 Farmborough Court Intermediate Care Service
4 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Farmborough Court Intermediate Care Service →
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Farmborough Court Intermediate Care Service →
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 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 24 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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46 live-in carers within about an hour of Sunderland
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Most charge £950 to £1,210 a week. 42 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
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