CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Flexible Support Options Limited (Pengarth)
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse, risks were assessed and medicines were managed safely. Inspectors found enough staff to support people safely during the visit, although staff shortages were sometimes reported.
- Effective?
- Good
- No separate rating was given. The report says staff received specialist training and worked with healthcare professionals, but this inspection report does not provide a full Effective assessment.
- Caring?
- Good
- No separate rating was given. Inspectors observed staff being kind and attentive, and found that staff knew people well.
- Responsive?
- Good
- No separate rating was given. The report says care was person-centred, people's preferences were considered and outings were planned around what people enjoyed.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Management checks were taking place and identified issues were dealt with promptly. Staff described managers as supportive, and relatives said they were kept updated.
What inspectors found, July 2023
Flexible Support Options Limited (Pengarth) is rated Good; inspectors found safe, person-centred care and positive management, while staffing shortages were sometimes challenging.
The inspection took place on 4 July 2023. One inspector observed care, spoke with a person living there, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional, and reviewed care, medicines and management records.
The home supported five people with learning disabilities and autistic people. Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse, risks were assessed, medicines were managed safely and there were enough staff to support people safely during the visit.
Inspectors saw a positive and person-centred culture. Staff knew people well, relatives were involved, and people were supported to make choices and access healthcare and activities.
The overall rating was Good. Safe and Well-led were both rated Good, and both ratings remained the same as at the previous inspection published in 2018.
Medicines
Medicines records were accurate. Guidance for medicines given when needed was detailed, including how to recognise pain when a person could not describe it.
“Records for 'when required' medicines were detailed.” from the report
Person-centred support
Staff knew people well and supported their choices, goals, healthcare needs and preferred activities.
“People chose goals to work towards, recently people had chosen new décor for their bedrooms.” from the report
Positive management
The management team used audits and action plans to identify and address problems. Staff and relatives described communication and support positively.
“Quality assurance checks were taking place including infection control, care record audits, and analyses of accidents and incidents.” from the report
Staffing pressures
needs fixingThe manager said recruitment was challenging. Staff sometimes struggled when staffing was short, and agency staff were used when levels fell below what was considered safe.
“Staff commented that they did sometimes struggle due to short staff but everyone pulled together to cover additional shifts if needed.” from the report
- 01How many permanent staff currently work at the home, and how often are agency staff being used?
- 02What specialist training would staff supporting my relative receive, including training for any feeding, catheter or autism-related needs?
- 03How are my relative's choices, goals and preferred activities recorded and reviewed?
- 04How would staff recognise pain or other health problems if my relative could not explain them?
- 05How are relatives kept updated when something goes wrong or when care needs change?
The inspection looked at the home, care and infection control, but this report gives ratings only for Safe and Well-led; the other three question ratings are not given. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 July 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, April 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with stronger management since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced inspection on 27 March 2018. One inspector observed care, spoke with relatives, staff and healthcare professionals, and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records. Five people were living in the home.
Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicine arrangements and suitable checks to protect people from abuse and avoidable risks. Staff were trained and supported. Care plans were personalised and people were helped to make choices, communicate, stay healthy and take part in activities.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The Well-led rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection in November 2015. Inspectors found that notifications, quality checks and staff morale had improved.
Safe medicines
Medicines were obtained, stored, given and disposed of safely. Records checked by inspectors had no omissions.
“Medication administration records [MARs] were completed correctly without omissions.” from the report
Kind and dignified care
Staff took time with people and supported their privacy, dignity and communication. Inspectors saw warm and compassionate interactions.
“Staff consistently interacted with people with warmth and kindness.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's preferences, routines, goals, health needs and communication methods. Staff worked with families where possible.
“Person centred means the person was at the centre of any care or support plans and their individual wishes, needs and choices were taken into account.” from the report
Community activities
People were supported to enjoy activities and use local facilities, including leisure activities, the theatre, cinema and hydrotherapy.
“We saw people had accessed the local theatre and cinema as well as hydrotherapy sessions.” from the report
Improved leadership
The home had addressed earlier concerns about notifications, staff morale and quality oversight. Inspectors found regular checks and better teamwork.
“On this visit, we saw the registered manager had conducted regular checks on issues such as staffing, medication, health and safety and the environment.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you assess and review my relative's communication needs, including any communication passport or aids?
- 02How will you support my relative's specific health, mobility, choking, nutrition or hydration needs?
- 03How will you make sure medicines and any feeding-tube care remain safely recorded and checked?
- 04What activities and community opportunities would be suitable for my relative, and how often could they take part?
- 05How are families involved in care reviews, family forums and decisions about end-of-life care?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five questions and the overall quality of the home; the Well-led rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 April 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 Flexible Support Options Limited (Pengarth)
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Flexible Support Options Limited (Pengarth) →
- April 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Flexible Support Options Limited (Pengarth) →
- February 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- September 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 May 2014.
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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23 live-in carers within about an hour of Northumberland
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 £950 to £1,190 a week. 20 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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.