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What the CQC found at Greystone House Residential Care Home

Goodpublished 8 November 2023, 2 years ago

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

The five questions inspectors ask
Safe?
Good
People told inspectors they felt safe. There were enough staff, suitable recruitment checks, risk assessments and systems for managing medicines and safeguarding people.
Effective?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
Caring?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
Responsive?
Good
This key question was not inspected during this visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
Well-led?
Good
Inspectors found a positive, person-centred culture. Managers and staff understood their roles, and audits, surveys and meetings were used to monitor and improve the service.
The latest report, explained

What inspectors found, November 2023

Greystone House Residential Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found people were safe and well supported, with some minor improvements made during the inspection.

Inspectors visited unannounced on 5 October and 17 October 2023. They spoke with 9 people, 4 relatives and 10 staff. They also reviewed care plans, recruitment records, risk assessments, audits and policies.

The inspection looked mainly at Safe and Well-led. People said they felt safe and comfortable. Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment checks, suitable risk assessments and safe medicines management. The home supported people to take positive risks and access the community.

The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Infection control was generally effective, although inspectors made suggestions about using protective equipment in kitchen areas. The home acted on these suggestions immediately.

What inspectors praised
  • People felt safe

    People and relatives told inspectors that people were safe, well cared for and treated well.

    “People told us they felt safe and were comfortable living at the home.” from the report
  • Enough suitable staff

    Inspectors found enough staff to support people. Recruitment included references and Disclosure and Barring Service checks.

    “There were enough suitably recruited staff in place to support people.” from the report
  • Support for independence

    The home supported people to access the community and, where possible, to manage some of their own medicines.

    “Positive risks were taken to enable people to access the community.” from the report
  • Good oversight and learning

    The home used audits, feedback and meetings to improve its processes. It also reviewed incidents and updated care plans when people's needs changed.

    “Lessons were learnt when things went wrong.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about
  • Protective equipment

    needs fixing

    Inspectors were only somewhat assured that protective equipment was being used effectively and safely. They suggested improvements, including better use in kitchen areas, and these were acted on immediately.

    “We were somewhat assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
  • Fire risk assessment

    minor

    An updated fire risk assessment was still taking place after a new fire system had been installed.

    “An updated fire risk assessment was taking place after a new fire system had been installed.” from the report
  • Medicines procedures

    minor

    Medicines were managed safely, but inspectors suggested improvements to the existing procedures. The home put these changes in place immediately.

    “We suggested some improvements to enhance current procedures, and these were put in place immediately.” from the report
Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01Has the updated fire risk assessment now been completed after the new fire system was installed?
  2. 02What changes were made to the use of protective equipment, especially in kitchen areas?
  3. 03What improvements were made to the medicines procedures after the inspection?
  4. 04How will staff support my relative to access the community and manage medicines safely if appropriate?
  5. 05How does the home work with community mental health and crisis teams when people need additional support?

This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their previous ratings were carried forward. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 November 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.

An earlier report, explained

What inspectors found, May 2018

Greystone House Residential Care Home is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-managed care, with staffing being reviewed at busy times.

This was an unannounced, comprehensive inspection on 15 March 2018. The inspector reviewed records, spoke with people living in the home, staff and health and social care professionals, and looked around the building.

The home was rated Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found suitable safeguarding arrangements, safe medicines practice, appropriate staff training and good care planning.

People were seen being treated with kindness, dignity and respect. They had choices about their daily lives, meals and activities. The home was clean and safe, and managers used audits, meetings and feedback to monitor quality.

The rating remained Good, the same as at the previous inspection in December 2015. The report says the manager was considering whether more staff were needed at certain busy times.

What inspectors praised
  • People felt safe

    People told inspectors they felt safe, and staff understood how to recognise and report abuse. Suitable risk assessments and emergency plans were in place.

    “All the people we spoke with during our inspection told us they felt safe living in Greystone House.” from the report
  • Kind and respectful care

    Inspectors saw warm interactions. Staff respected privacy and dignity and supported people to remain as independent as possible.

    “We observed warm and caring interactions between staff and the people they supported.” from the report
  • Good care planning

    The care plans reviewed were current and informative. Staff recorded daily care and updated support when people's needs changed.

    “We looked at four care and support plans and found they were up to date and informative.” from the report
  • Choice and activities

    People could make choices about their routines, meals and activities. A weekly programme was available, and some people went out with or without staff support.

    “We saw a weekly programme of activities and entertainment for people who wanted to join in.” from the report
  • Quality monitoring

    Managers used checks covering areas such as care plans, risk assessments, incidents, fire safety and infection control. Meetings were also held with staff and people living in the home.

    “There was a quality monitoring system in place that covered health and safety, infection control, incident recording, fire safety equipment, policies and procedures, the environment, care plans and risk assessments.” from the report
What inspectors were concerned about

Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.

Questions to ask them, based on this report
  1. 01What staffing levels are in place at the busiest times of day, and what changes were made after the review mentioned in the report?
  2. 02What refurbishment work has been completed since the inspection, and which work on the refurbishment schedule is still planned?
  3. 03How often are medicines refresher training and competency checks completed for staff?
  4. 04How are people involved in choosing activities and deciding whether they want to go out?
  5. 05How are concerns and complaints recorded, investigated and used to improve the service?

This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five areas, and the previous Good ratings from December 2015 were reviewed. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 May 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.

The story over the years

Every inspection of Greystone House Residential Care Home

3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.

  1. November 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Greystone House Residential Care Home →

  2. May 2018Goodstayed Good
    Safe: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read what inspectors found at Greystone House Residential Care Home →

  3. February 2016Good
    Safe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  4. December 2013

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  5. September 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  6. February 2012

    Report published without a new overall rating.

    Read this report on cqc.org.uk

  7. May 2011

    Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 23 May 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.

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