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CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Ferndale Care Home

Goodpublished 9 May 2018, 8 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors were assured about infection prevention and control, including testing, PPE, shielding, social distancing, hygiene and managing possible outbreaks.
Effective?
Good
Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
Caring?
Good
Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
Responsive?
Good
Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
Well-led?
Good
Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, April 2021

Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This was an announced, targeted inspection on 10 March 2021. It checked infection prevention and control measures during the coronavirus pandemic, rather than the full range of care provided.

Inspectors found that staff and people were regularly tested. The home had hand sanitiser and PPE stations, reminders about hygiene and PPE, and arrangements for shielding and for people returning from hospital.

The inspection found the home was assured in all the infection control areas checked. No overall service rating was given, and the Safe question was recorded as inspected but not rated.

What inspectors praised
  • Regular testing

    Staff and people were regularly tested under the COVID-19 testing programme in place at the time.

    “Staff and people were regularly tested in line with the government's current COVID-19 testing programme.” from the report
  • PPE and hand hygiene

    The home provided hand sanitiser and PPE stations and used signs to remind people about protective equipment and handwashing.

    “Hand sanitiser and PPE stations were available throughout the service.” from the report
  • Shielding and hospital returns

    The home had arrangements for shielding people and for people returning from hospital, following national guidance.

    “The home had processes in place for shielding or people returning from hospital, as per National guidance.” from the report
  • Infection control systems

    Inspectors were assured that the home had measures covering visitors, admissions, PPE, hygiene, possible outbreaks and its infection control policy.

    “We were assured that the provider's infection prevention and control policy was up to date.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How have your COVID-19 testing arrangements for people and staff changed since the inspection?
  2. 02How do you currently manage PPE and hand hygiene for staff, visitors and people living in the home?
  3. 03What is your current procedure for admitting someone safely or supporting someone returning from hospital?
  4. 04How do you manage shielding, social distancing and any infection outbreak now?
  5. 05When was your infection prevention and control policy last updated?

This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not give an overall rating or assess the other key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 April 2021 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, May 2018

Ferndale Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-managed care, but care records were difficult to follow.

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 8 and 14 March 2018. One inspector reviewed records, observed care, spoke with people, a relative, staff and the manager, and checked how the home was run.

The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, suitable medicine arrangements, regular staff training and good support with food, health care and daily choices.

People told inspectors they were happy, treated with dignity and listened to. Activities were available, complaints were dealt with, and the manager carried out regular checks. However, care records contained old information and were lengthy and hard to understand. The manager created a clearer format during the inspection, and inspectors recommended reviewing all records.

What inspectors praised
  • Enough, suitable staff

    Inspectors found sufficient staff during the day and night. Recruitment checks included references and criminal record checks before staff started.

    “There was sufficient staff on duty during the day and throughout the night.” from the report
  • Respectful care

    People said staff were caring and respected their privacy and dignity. Inspectors saw staff knocking before entering rooms and supporting people's independence.

    “People told us their dignity was maintained and respected at all times by staff.” from the report
  • Food and health support

    People had varied food choices and support where they were at risk of malnutrition or dehydration. Staff also helped people access health professionals and appointments.

    “People at risk of dehydration or malnutrition were receiving appropriate care from staff and health professionals.” from the report
  • Active quality checks

    The manager monitored the home daily, reviewed incidents and audited areas such as care records, training, complaints and staffing.

    “As part of quality assurance checks the registered manager reviewed all aspects of the service on a daily basis.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Care records were hard to follow

    needs fixing

    Some records contained old information and were very long. This could make it harder for new staff to quickly understand a person's current needs. The manager introduced a clearer format during the inspection, and inspectors recommended reviewing all records.

    “However we found care plans were initially written by hand and then additions made.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01How have you reviewed all care records since the inspection, and how do you make sure they show people's current needs clearly?
  2. 02How do staff quickly find the most important information about a new resident's care and risks?
  3. 03What activities are currently available, and how are they matched to each person's interests and abilities?
  4. 04How are medicines, including as-needed medicines, recorded and checked?
  5. 05If a resident may be deprived of their liberty, how are applications, authorisations and reviews managed?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, and the previous Good overall rating from 1 December 2015 continued. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Ferndale Care Home

2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. April 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent rating
    Safe: Inspected but not rated

    Read what inspectors found at Ferndale Care Home →

  2. May 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Ferndale Care Home →

  3. January 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. October 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. August 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. May 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. April 2012

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 4 April 2012.

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.

Next steps

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