CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Gosford Lodge
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, suitable risk assessments and safe medicines management. Staff understood safeguarding and how to respond to behaviours that might cause harm.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before they moved in and care plans were reviewed. Staff were trained and supervised, and people were supported with food, activities and healthcare, although relatives gave mixed views about communication.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were observed treating people with kindness, dignity and respect. They knew people well and supported independence, although some relatives felt less involved in decisions and updates than others.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's preferences, communication needs and goals. People were supported with meaningful activities, community trips and family relationships, and complaints had been investigated in line with the provider's policy.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found consistent leadership, regular audits and an action plan for improvements. Some relatives were concerned that the registered manager had begun supporting another home and that this might affect consistency.
What inspectors found, December 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with mixed feedback about family communication.
This was an unannounced inspection on 30 October 2019. The inspector observed care, spoke with eight staff, reviewed care, medicines and staff records, and later spoke with four relatives and three professionals.
The home supported five people with learning disabilities, autistic spectrum conditions or additional needs. Inspectors found people were safe, treated with dignity, supported to make choices, and helped to develop skills, use healthcare services and take part in activities.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The previous inspection, published in July 2017, had also rated the service Good. The report says there had been recent improvements, especially in staffing, leadership and the quality of support.
Safe medicines
Medicines were managed safely. Staff who administered medicines were trained and records were clear, with no recording or management errors found.
“Medicines administration records were very clear, and there had been no errors in recording or managing medicines.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff spent time with people, knew them well and supported their dignity and independence.
“The staff we saw were kind and caring towards people.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans described people's needs, preferences, risks, communication and goals. They were reviewed regularly.
“People's care plans were personalised and identified what was important to them, including their likes and preferences.” from the report
Meaningful activities
People were supported to take part in activities at home and in the community, and to maintain relationships with family and friends.
“People were supported to take part in activities which were appropriate and meaningful to them in the wider community.” from the report
Recent improvements
The report describes improvements in staffing, relationships with families and the quality of support. Quality checks and an improvement plan were in place.
“The registered manager told us there had been a lot of changes at Gosford Lodge.” from the report
Mixed family communication
needs fixingRelatives did not all feel equally involved or well informed about changes and care discussions. This is important if your relative cannot communicate verbally.
“One relative said, "There have been huge steps in communication in the past few months", but another added, "They don't share information with us.” from the report
Manager's wider responsibilities
needs fixingSome relatives worried that the registered manager's work supporting another home could reduce consistency at this home. The provider described measures intended to prevent this, but families may want to check how these work in practice.
“Some relatives expressed concerns because they had learned the registered manager had recently begun providing management support at another home.” from the report
Different views about standards
minorMost feedback about recent changes was positive, but one relative remained worried that standards might fall when the service was not being watched.
“They get the boxes ticked, but when nobody's watching them, that's when the standards start slipping.” from the report
- 01How will you keep families informed about changes to care, appointments and decisions?
- 02How often will the registered manager be at this home while also supporting another home?
- 03What checks show that staffing levels and consistency remain suitable?
- 04How are people involved in reviewing their care plans if they cannot communicate verbally?
- 05How do you record and respond to relatives' concerns and complaints?
This was an unannounced, planned inspection that covered all five CQC questions and looked at both the accommodation and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 December 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, July 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some service improvements still underway.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 8 June 2017. Two inspectors observed care, spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care records, medicine records, staff files and management records. Seven people were living in the home, which can support up to eight people.
Inspectors found all five areas rated Good. People were safe, supported by trained staff and given their medicines as prescribed. Staff were kind and respectful, and care plans reflected people's needs, preferences and interests.
The home had a new manager who was registering with the CQC. Inspectors found an open and honest culture, regular checks on quality and action taken after accidents and incidents. Some work was still continuing, including changes to medicine systems and training to help people take part in residents' meetings.
Personalised care
Care was tailored to people's needs, preferences, interests and communication. Staff knew how each person wanted to be supported.
“People received high quality care that was personalised and met their needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw warm relationships and respectful interactions. Staff supported dignity, privacy and independence.
“We saw people were treated with dignity and respect throughout our inspection.” from the report
Safe staffing and risk management
There were enough staff to respond promptly. Risk assessments and guidance were in place, including for epilepsy and behaviours that could cause harm.
“There were sufficient staff on duty to meet people's needs.” from the report
Involvement and activities
People and relatives were involved in care decisions. People were supported with hobbies, trips, cooking, gardening and other activities.
“People were supported by staff to create a weekly planner of activities for them to follow.” from the report
Quality improvement
The manager used audits, incident reviews and surveys to identify improvements and share learning with staff.
“Accidents and incidents were recorded and investigated. The manager analysed information from the investigations to improve the service.” from the report
Medicine systems were being changed
minorMedicine management was rated Good, but the manager was still updating the systems and considering a different pharmacy to make them safer.
“The manager was in the process of updating the medicines systems and changing the providing pharmacy.” from the report
Residents' meetings were not yet in place
minorMost people had difficulty speaking with inspectors. Staff were still being trained to support people to express their views in residents' meetings.
“Staff were being trained in supporting people to express themselves to enable 'residents' meeting to be held.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to the medicine system and pharmacy since the inspection?
- 02How do you now help people who have difficulty speaking to express their views?
- 03Are residents' meetings now taking place, and how are people's views acted on?
- 04How are people's care plans and risk assessments reviewed when their needs change?
- 05How will you keep relatives informed about care decisions and improvements?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, covering all five CQC questions through observations, conversations and checks of care, medicine, staff and management records. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 July 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 Gosford Lodge
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- December 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 10 October 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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38 live-in carers within about an hour of Oxfordshire
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 £1,300 a week. 32 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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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.