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CQC report explained · a residential care home

What the CQC found at Greenfields Care Home

Goodpublished 2 February 2021, 5 years ago

Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
Inspectors found safeguarding procedures, regular safety checks, suitable staffing, safe recruitment and appropriate medicines systems. They were also assured about infection prevention and control during the pandemic.
Effective?
Good
This question was not inspected during this focused visit. No areas of concern had been identified, so the previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
Caring?
Good
This question was not inspected during this focused visit. No areas of concern had been identified, so the previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
Responsive?
Good
The report found detailed, person-centred care plans, regular family updates and support to maintain relationships. Complaints systems were in place and people knew how to raise concerns.
Well-led?
Good
The home had regular checks and audits, monitoring of care records and communication between the provider and manager. People's and families' views were sought.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, February 2021

Rated Good; inspectors found safe, responsive and well-led care, although activities had changed during the pandemic.

This was an unannounced focused inspection on 9 December 2020. One inspector visited the home. The inspection team also spoke with two people living there, four family members and five staff. They reviewed care, medicines, recruitment and management records.

The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Responsive and Well-led were rated Good. Inspectors found effective infection control, safe medicines procedures, suitable staffing and recruitment checks. Care plans recorded people's needs and choices, and families were supported to stay in contact.

The previous overall rating was Requires Improvement, published in October 2019. The report says the home had improved. Because this was a focused inspection, the Responsive and Well-led ratings used findings from earlier comprehensive inspections rather than a full new inspection of those areas.

What inspectors praised
  • Infection control

    Inspectors were assured that the home had measures to prevent and manage infection during the pandemic, including safe use of protective equipment and testing.

    “We were assured the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
  • Medicines

    Medicines were stored and managed safely. Staff responsible for medicines had training and their ability had been checked.

    “People received their medicines appropriately by trained and competent staff.” from the report
  • Personalised care

    Care plans recorded people's individual needs and choices. Staff were observed listening and responding sensitively when someone became upset.

    “People's care plans were detailed, and person centred. They clearly reflected people's individual needs and choices.” from the report
  • Family contact

    Staff helped people keep in touch with relatives through calls, visits and sharing videos or photographs during the pandemic.

    “Family members told us staff supported people to keep in touch.” from the report
  • Quality monitoring

    The home used regular checks and audits to monitor medicines, the living environment and care records.

    “Weekly and monthly checks and audits took place.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Activities changed

    minor

    Activities were available, but the pandemic had reduced or changed what could be provided. Ask what activities are available now and how they match your relative's interests.

    “Activities were made available within the service. However, changes had been made to this provision during the pandemic.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What activities are available now, and how are they matched to my relative's interests and choices?
  2. 02How will I be involved in reviewing my relative's care plan and kept updated about their care needs?
  3. 03How are medicines checked, and how do you make sure staff remain competent to administer them safely?
  4. 04What infection prevention, testing and visiting arrangements are currently in place?
  5. 05How can I raise a complaint, and how will it be recorded and followed up?

This was a planned focused inspection based on the previous rating, with infection control inspected under Safe; Responsive and Well-led used previous inspection findings, and Effective and Caring were not inspected. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 February 2021 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, October 2019

Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind and effective care, but some safety, record keeping and management systems still needed work.

This was an unannounced inspection following an earlier Inadequate rating. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and a healthcare professional. They also checked care records, medicine records, staff files and management records.

The home had improved since the previous inspection. People said they felt safe, received medicines on time and were treated kindly. Staff knew people well, supported their health needs and provided a balanced diet.

The overall rating was Requires Improvement. Safe, Responsive and Well-led were rated Requires Improvement. Effective and Caring were rated Good. The home was no longer in Special Measures and was no longer in breach of regulations at this inspection.

What inspectors praised
  • Improved risk management

    Risks such as nutrition, hydration, skin care and mobility were identified and reviewed. The home also learned from accidents and updated care plans when needed.

    “Risks identified for people included nutrition, hydration, skin and mobility . This was an improvement from the previous inspection.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful care

    People and relatives spoke positively about staff. Inspectors saw that staff listened, communicated well and supported people's choices and independence.

    “Staff knew people well and it was evident from their interactions with people that positive relationships had been formed.” from the report
  • Medicines and infection control

    Medicines were stored and administered safely by trained staff. The home had infection control procedures and staff used protective equipment appropriately.

    “Staff followed safe medicines policies and procedures and good practice guidance.” from the report
  • Progress since the last inspection

    The home had addressed the previous regulatory breaches and improved training, consent processes, governance and risk management. It moved from Inadequate and Special Measures to an overall Requires Improvement rating.

    “The provider demonstrated that improvements have been made. The service is no longer rated as inadequate overall or in any of the key questions.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Equipment risk checks

    needs fixing

    Three bed rails had not had risk assessments completed. The provider acted immediately, but inspectors recommended continued checking of all equipment used.

    “We recommend that the provider continually reviews their procedures to ensure that any equipment in use is regularly assessed for safety.” from the report
  • Privacy in communal records

    needs fixing

    People's full names and personal information were recorded in communal books where others could see them. Inspectors recommended that the recording process be reviewed.

    “People's full names had been recorded on the same pages and other people's personal information which did not protect individual's personal information.” from the report
  • Limited detail in daily records

    needs fixing

    Records did not always clearly show the care and support given or offered. Some entries used brief phrases rather than person-centred detail.

    “records contained terms that included "Appeared settled", "No concerns" and "No concerns at this time.” from the report
  • Complaint records

    needs fixing

    People knew how to complain, but the home initially had no system to record complaint investigations and outcomes. The provider said a system had been introduced after the inspection.

    “However, there was no system in place to record investigations and outcomes of any complaints received.” from the report
  • Registered manager

    minor

    A new manager was in post but had not started the registration process with the CQC. Leadership was still rated Requires Improvement.

    “A new manager was in post, however they had not begun the registration process to apply to become the registered manager of the service.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What checks are now completed for bed rails and other equipment before and during use?
  2. 02How do you keep people's personal information private in communal records?
  3. 03How do daily records now show the detailed, person-centred care each resident received?
  4. 04How are complaints investigated, recorded and followed up?
  5. 05Has the manager started or completed the CQC registration process?

This was an unannounced planned inspection following the previous rating and covered all five key questions, the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Greenfields Care Home

5 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. February 2021Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvement
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Greenfields Care Home →

  2. October 2019Requires improvementup from Inadequate
    Safe: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement

    Read what inspectors found at Greenfields Care Home →

  3. February 2019Inadequatedown from Good
    Safe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. July 2017Goodstayed Good
    Responsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. June 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. August 2014

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. May 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  8. July 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  9. October 2011

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  10. January 2011

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 28 January 2011.

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.

Next steps

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