CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Fitzwarren House
Rated Outstanding: inspectors found the home performing exceptionally well.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, timely responses to call bells and effective medicines management. Risks were identified and reviewed, and the home was clean.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff received training, supervision and support. People's dietary needs, healthcare needs and legal rights under the Mental Capacity Act were considered.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- Staff were described as exceptionally caring and treated people with patience, dignity and respect. People were supported to make choices and remain independent.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- Care was highly personalised and records were detailed. The home offered activities based on people's interests and goals, including music therapy, trips and community activities.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found visible leadership, strong quality monitoring and a culture of learning and improvement. Feedback from people, relatives and professionals was used to shape the service.
What inspectors found, December 2018
Rated Outstanding overall; inspectors found exceptionally caring, personalised support and a safe, well-run home.
This was an unannounced inspection on 15 and 16 October 2018. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals. They observed care, mealtimes, activities and medicines being given. They reviewed care records, medicine records, recruitment checks and quality audits.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective and Well-led. Inspectors found enough suitably trained staff, safe medicines systems, detailed care assessments, suitable food and effective links with health professionals. The home was clean and risks were reviewed.
The home was rated Outstanding for Caring and Responsive. Inspectors found staff treated people with dignity, knew them very well and supported their choices. People had personalised care, meaningful activities, community links and support for their emotional and end-of-life needs.
The overall rating improved from Good to Outstanding because the Responsive rating improved from Good to Outstanding. The Caring rating remained Outstanding, while Safe, Effective and Well-led remained Good.
Kind and respectful care
Staff understood people as individuals and supported their dignity, privacy, choices and independence. Inspectors saw warm, patient and reassuring interactions.
“We observed staff treated people with the utmost patience and kindness.” from the report
Personalised support
Care records included people's preferences, routines and values. People were involved in deciding how they wanted to be cared for, including taking part in care plan reviews.
“People and their relatives told us they were involved in determining the care they wanted and needed, and in reviewing the care provided.” from the report
Meaningful activities
The home offered activities linked to people's interests and goals. These included trips, music sessions, one-to-one activities and events involving relatives and the local community.
“The provider had gone to great lengths to ensure people had access to a wide range of meaningful activities.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough suitably skilled staff and safe recruitment checks. Medicines were stored and given safely, with audits in place.
“Effective systems were in place to manage people's medicines so that they received them safely and on time.” from the report
Strong improvement systems
The home used audits, meetings and feedback to monitor care and make changes. This included monitoring people's weights and learning from incidents.
“Highly effective quality monitoring systems were in place.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you adjust staffing if my relative's care or nursing needs increased?
- 02How would you review my relative's care plan and risk assessments after a fall, accident or change in health?
- 03If my relative may be deprived of their liberty, what applications or authorisations are currently in place and what is being done while decisions are awaited?
- 04Which activities and one-to-one support would match my relative's interests, communication needs and abilities?
- 05How do you involve relatives in care reviews and act on their feedback, including support for relatives of people living with dementia?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, with the previous ratings retained for Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led and Responsive improved to Outstanding. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 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 Fitzwarren House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has improved, from Good to Outstanding.
- December 2018Outstandingcurrent ratingup from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- May 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- November 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 22 December 2010.
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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44 live-in carers within about an hour of Swindon
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 £990 to £1,280 a week. 34 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Linet became her carer and all changed, my daughter started eating, taking her medications and more important her happiness came back.”
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.