CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Fenchurch House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, regular risk assessments, safe medicine systems and effective infection prevention arrangements. Incidents were reviewed and action was taken to reduce risks.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and staff received induction, ongoing training and supervision. Food, hydration, healthcare support and decisions made under the Mental Capacity Act were managed appropriately.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff supported people's choices, relationships and independence, including adapting support for people living with dementia.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were personalised and reviewed. The home offered activities, trips, communication support and ways to raise complaints, and recorded people's end-of-life wishes.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found approachable management, positive teamwork and systems to monitor quality. The home worked with health and social care professionals, universities and research teams.
What inspectors found, August 2022
Fenchurch House is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no breaches reported.
This was an unannounced first inspection of the newly registered home. Inspectors spoke with people living there, relatives and staff. They observed care and reviewed care, medicine and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicine arrangements, suitable training and care plans that reflected people's needs.
People and relatives spoke positively about the home. Staff were described as kind and responsive. The home supported independence, family contact, activities and visits, and used feedback and audits to improve care.
Personalised care
Care plans reflected people's needs and choices. Staff were trained to support people living with dementia and adapted care to help people remain calm, independent and involved.
“People received high quality care at Fenchurch House. Staff had the training needed to provide safe care and they took the time to ensure it was individualised to meet each person's needs.” from the report
Staffing and safety
Inspectors found enough care staff and additional hospitality, activities and support staff. Risks, medicines, recruitment checks and incidents were managed through established systems.
“There were enough care staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People spoke positively about staff. The home supported privacy, dignity, independence, family relationships and people's individual preferences.
“People told us they were happy with the staff who cared for them.” from the report
Activities and environment
The purpose-built home offered social spaces, outdoor areas, activities and trips. Inspectors found the environment clean, welcoming and designed to support independence.
“The environment was warm and welcoming and had been designed to maximise people's independence.” from the report
Learning and improvement
Management reviewed incidents, complaints and feedback, and took action where needed. The home also worked with the NHS and universities on dementia research and training.
“The registered manager ensured lessons learnt from accidents and incidents, complaints and safeguarding were shared with the whole staff team so that everyone knew what went wrong.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you decide how many staff are needed on each floor, and what happens when the home is busy?
- 02How would you support my relative's specific dementia needs, preferences and independence?
- 03How are medicines, including medicines prescribed to be taken as required, recorded and reviewed?
- 04What activities, trips and family visiting arrangements are available now?
- 05How would you record and follow my relative's wishes about end-of-life care?
This was an unannounced first inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control under Safe; the service had been registered since 19 October 2020. This explanation was written from the published report of 18 August 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, November 2020
Fenchurch House was inspected but not rated; inspectors found good COVID-19 infection control arrangements.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 4 November 2020. It looked only at infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The home had opened in October 2020 and four people were living there at the time. Inspectors found plans to separate people and staff into different areas, with a designated floor for people arriving from hospital with a positive COVID-19 test.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using personal protective equipment safely, supporting hand hygiene, cleaning effectively and arranging regular COVID-19 testing. They did not give an overall quality rating or a Safe rating.
Separate areas and staff teams
The home had planned separate areas for people and staff to reduce the risk of infection spreading between floors and teams.
“The provider had identified a specific area within the service to ensure effective use of cohorting and zoning.” from the report
Safe admissions
People entering the home had their temperature checked and used hand disinfectant. A separate lift was planned for people with COVID-19 going to the designated floor.
“Risk assessments and procedures were in place for admitting people in to the building.” from the report
Protective equipment
There were plentiful supplies of masks and aprons. Inspectors saw staff using them appropriately and found safe arrangements for disposing of used equipment.
“The provider ensured plentiful supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE).” from the report
Testing and cleaning
The provider took part in regular COVID-19 testing for residents and staff. Areas were cleaned and disinfected with suitable products.
“The provider participated in regular COVID-19 testing of people living in the service and staff.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How is the designated 17-bed area used now, and how are people kept separate from other residents?
- 02How often are staff expected to change their personal protective equipment, and how is its safe disposal checked?
- 03How often are residents and staff tested for COVID-19, and what happens after a positive result?
- 04How are staff allocated to set teams and defined areas to reduce cross-infection?
- 05What has changed since this inspection, given that only four people were living in the home at the time?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control only; the service was inspected but not rated overall or for Safe. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 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 Fenchurch House
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- August 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- October 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 October 2020.
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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9 live-in carers within about an hour of Lincolnshire
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.
8 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Martin was more than a carer, he managed the home and became my uncle's best friend, enriching his life during his last few years.”
“Magda was always positive and proactive about trying new things to keep dad busy. She also introduced new ideas for keeping dad healthy.”
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.