CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Field House
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found safeguarding, risk assessment, staffing, recruitment, medicines and infection control systems were effective. The home had sufficient trained staff during the inspection and on the planned day and night rotas.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's health, nutrition and communication needs were assessed and reviewed. Staff followed mental capacity and liberty safeguards requirements and worked with other agencies to support people's health.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, respect and dignity. Staff supported people to make choices, maintain relationships and develop independence.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Support was highly individualised and focused on personal goals, meaningful activities and life skills. Inspectors saw exceptional outcomes, including improved confidence, independence, education and healthier lifestyles.
- Well-led?
- Outstanding
- Leadership was open and inclusive, with strong quality monitoring and partnership working. Staff felt valued and the home used incident and medicine trends to improve people's support.
What inspectors found, October 2019
Rated Outstanding; inspectors found exceptionally person-centred support and leadership, with Safe, Effective and Caring rated Good.
This was an unannounced inspection by two inspectors on 12 and 27 August 2019. They visited the home, observed daily life and staff support, spoke with four people, three staff members and the registered manager, and reviewed care, medicine, recruitment, training and quality records. They also contacted professionals, commissioners and a relative.
The home was rated Outstanding overall. Responsive and Well-led were rated Outstanding. Safe, Effective and Caring were rated Good. Inspectors found kind staff, detailed care planning, safe medicines support and strong links with health and social care professionals.
Inspectors found especially strong results in helping people become more independent and achieve personal goals. Examples included healthier lifestyles, attending college, taking part in activities and preparing for more independent living. The rating had improved from Good at the previous inspection, published on 8 March 2018.
Personalised support
Care plans were detailed and tailored to each person's needs, abilities and goals. Staff provided consistent support that had a major effect on people's quality of life.
“Excellent consistency and continuity of care provided by the staff team had a major impact on people's quality of life.” from the report
Building independence
People were supported to develop life skills, make choices and become more confident and self-sufficient.
“We found people had developed life skills that made them more self-sufficient and confident.” from the report
Meaningful opportunities
Staff helped people take part in education, sports, social activities and personal ambitions, including attending a live music event.
“We saw staff were totally committed to making people's days full of meaningful activities and educational experiences.” from the report
Strong leadership
The home had open leadership, very positive staff morale and detailed systems for reviewing incidents, risks and care quality.
“Governance was extremely well-embedded within the service.” from the report
Restrictive interventions
minorThe home used some restrictive interventions, although the report says these were used only as a last resort and in a person-centred way. Families should ask what interventions might apply to their relative and how they are reviewed.
“The service used some restrictive intervention practices as a last resort, in a person-centred way, in line with positive behaviour support principles.” from the report
Easy-read information still being developed
minorThe manager planned to make all policies and procedures available in easy-read formats. Ask which information is already accessible and what remains to be changed.
“The registered manager had plans to develop all policies and procedures in easy read formats so people had better access to this information.” from the report
- 01What restrictive interventions might be used for my relative, and how are they recorded, reviewed and reduced?
- 02Which care goals would you set for my relative, and how would you measure progress towards greater independence?
- 03How would you support my relative's preferred way of communicating, including access to easy-read information?
- 04How do you make sure there are enough suitably trained staff for one-to-one support and community activities?
- 05How would you involve my relative, our family and other professionals in reviewing the care plan and any changes in needs?
This was an unannounced inspection that looked at all five CQC key questions, including the premises, care, records, medicines, staffing, training and quality monitoring. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 October 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.
What inspectors found, November 2017
Field House was rated Good overall; inspectors found people safe, with enough trained staff, safe medicines practice and suitable risk planning.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 9 October 2017. It followed concerns about staffing levels and how people were supported when they showed behaviour that could put themselves or others at risk. The inspector spoke with four people, four staff and the registered manager, and checked care records, medicines, incidents and recruitment records.
Inspectors found enough staff to support people safely. Staff understood people's risks, warning signs and behaviour support plans. They had training in the approach used for physical interventions, and records showed these interventions were used only as a last resort.
Medicines were given as prescribed and records showed when they were administered. Staff recruitment checks were completed. Fire safety checks, emergency evacuation plans and risk assessments were also in place.
The home was rated Good for Safe. The overall Good rating came from the earlier comprehensive inspection on 31 January 2017. This visit only assessed Safe, so it did not reassess the other four areas.
Enough trained staff
Inspectors found sufficient staff to support people safely, including when people were out in the community or when there was sickness on a shift.
“Although there had been changes to the staff team since our last inspection; we found there was sufficient staff available to support people.” from the report
Understanding behaviour support
Staff understood people's behaviours, triggers and support plans. They had to complete training and be assessed as competent before taking part in physical intervention.
“Staff had a good understanding on how to support people and the behaviour management plans in place reflected what staff told us and provided them with clear guidance to support people in a safe way.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Staff who gave medicines were trained. Records showed when medicines were given, why a dose was not given and the remaining stock.
“Medicines were managed safely as people were supported by staff trained to administer medicines.” from the report
Promoting independence safely
Risk assessments helped people take part in daily activities and access the community while staff managed identified risks.
“We saw that people were supported to take responsible risks to enable them to maintain and develop their independent living skills.” from the report
Incomplete intervention timing records
minorRecords of physical interventions were detailed, but did not show the exact time each intervention started and ended. Inspectors advised the home to record this clearly.
“We did note that the actual time that the physical intervention started and ended was not recorded.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure there are enough trained staff when someone is sick or leaves?
- 02Have the exact start and finish times of physical interventions been recorded since this inspection?
- 03How often are staff assessed as competent in the behaviour support approach used at the home?
- 04How will staffing increase if the home is approved to support a seventh person?
- 05How do you review each person's risk assessments while supporting their independence?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe only; the overall Good rating and the other areas came from the comprehensive inspection on 31 January 2017. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 November 2017 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 Field House
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- October 2019Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Outstanding
- November 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: Good
- March 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 July 2016.
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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Staffordshire
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 £980 to £1,230 a week. 85 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“We particularly appreciate the companionship Dawn gives in the evenings when she plays cards and Scrabble with my mother.”
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