CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Gencare Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, July 2023
Gencare Care Home Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, but risks, records and leadership were not managed consistently.
This was the home's first inspection. Inspectors visited on 27 April and 14 June 2023. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and managers, and checked care records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good for effective care and caring. People were treated kindly, involved in decisions and supported with their health, food, independence and daily activities. Medicines, infection control and staff recruitment were also managed well.
The home was rated Requires Improvement overall, and also for safe, responsive and well-led care. Inspectors found incomplete risk information, poor learning from incidents, delayed updates to records and inconsistent management. They said this gave limited assurance about safety and increased the risk that people could be harmed.
The second visit followed information about four falls that may have caused injury. The inspection looked at risks linked to moving and handling equipment, but did not examine the circumstances of those incidents. The provider must send an action plan, and the CQC said it will monitor progress.
Kind and respectful care
People were treated compassionately, and staff respected their privacy, dignity and choices.
“People received kind and compassionate care from staff who used positive, respectful language which people understood and responded well to.” from the report
Person-centred support
Care plans described people's abilities, needs and wishes. People were supported to learn daily living skills and develop new interests.
“Overall, we found people received person centred care.” from the report
Safe recruitment and staffing
There were enough staff during the visits, including support for activities and visits. Recruitment checks were completed before staff started.
“There were enough staff during the 2 days we visited, including for one-to-one support for people to take part in activities and visits how and when they wanted.” from the report
Medicines records
The medicines records checked by inspectors were completed properly and were audited.
“Medicine administration records we reviewed were completed properly.” from the report
Incomplete risk information
seriousSome risk assessments did not contain enough detail, including information about triggers and how staff should respond. Records did not always help staff provide safe support after falls.
“Risks were not always monitored and where possible, reduced or prevented.” from the report
Poor learning from incidents
seriousThe home did not consistently identify underlying causes or share lessons with staff. It did not always take action to prevent similar incidents happening again.
“There was no effective method of sharing accident information or lessons learned within the team.” from the report
Unstable leadership
needs fixingThe home had three managers since it began trading, and the latest manager's contract ended soon after the second visit. Inspectors were not confident that the management arrangements were suitable.
“The service was inconsistently managed. Since they started trading in May 2022, the service has had 3 managers.” from the report
Records and handovers
needs fixingInformation about changing needs and incidents was not always recorded in handovers, daily notes or other communication systems. This created extra risk where agency staff were used.
“Records were not always kept accurate, complete, and up to date.” from the report
Risk of a closed culture
minorRelated directors sometimes worked together. Inspectors recommended that the provider consider guidance about identifying and responding to closed cultures.
“This is a risk factor of developing a closed culture. A closed culture can lead to harm, which can include human rights breaches such as abuse.” from the report
- 01What has changed in risk assessments since the inspection, especially for falls, moving and handling and known triggers?
- 02How are incidents now analysed, and how do you show that lessons are shared with every member of staff, including agency staff?
- 03Who is currently responsible for day-to-day decisions, and when will a registered manager be in post?
- 04How are handovers and daily records checked to make sure changes in people's needs are recorded promptly?
- 05Has the voluntary pause on new admissions ended, and what improvements were completed before it ended?
This was the home's first comprehensive inspection, with visits to the office and home; the second visit focused particularly on risks linked to four reported falls, while the circumstances of those falls were not examined. This explanation was written from the published report of 6 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.
Every inspection of Gencare Care Home
Each visit the CQC has published, newest first, back to the day the home was registered.
- July 2023Requires improvementcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2022
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 22 February 2022.
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 Brent
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Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 74 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“The quality of life that she's given my parents has been priceless. The peace of mind she's given my sisters and I, through a very difficult time, has been invaluable.”
“I can truly say that Peter always put Dad at the centre of everything and I know that they found a great friendship in difficult times.”
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