CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Grove House Home for Older People
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, June 2021
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found people at risk from unsafe care, weak checks and incomplete care records.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 11 May 2021. Inspectors looked mainly at Safe and Well-led, including infection control. They observed care, spoke with people and staff, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
Inspectors found that two people's care plans and risk assessments did not reflect important changes in their needs. One person had serious injuries after falls, but their care guidance was not updated. Staff were carrying out complex care without written guidance, and records of positional changes and skin checks were often incomplete.
Medicines were not always managed safely. There were no written protocols for medicines given when needed, and instructions were missing for an external cream. A safeguarding concern was not reported promptly. The provider's audits had not identified or corrected these problems.
The overall rating fell from Good to Requires Improvement. The home was also rated Requires Improvement for Safe and Well-led. The report says the provider sent an action plan and CQC will check progress.
Staffing
Inspectors found enough staff on duty during the visit. The provider also used appropriate recruitment checks for the staff record reviewed.
“We observed there were enough staff on duty during the inspection.” from the report
Financial records
The financial records checked were complete and matched the money held.
“We checked the arrangements for the management of finances and found all balances checked corresponded accurately to the records.” from the report
Infection control
Care staff were using protective equipment correctly during the inspection.
“We noted all care staff were wearing PPE appropriately during the inspection.” from the report
People's views
People told inspectors they were happy living in the home and had no safety concerns.
“People told us they were happy living in the home, and they had no concerns about their safety.” from the report
Out-of-date care guidance
seriousCare plans and risk assessments had not been updated after serious falls and changes in one person's needs. Staff were carrying out complex care without clear written guidance.
“People were at high risk from inconsistent and unsafe care.” from the report
Incomplete monitoring records
seriousRecords of positional changes and skin checks were often incomplete. There was no evidence that managers had checked them or acted on the risks.
“most of their daily charts in respect to skin integrity had not been completed.” from the report
Medicines procedures
seriousThere were no protocols for medicines prescribed when needed. An external cream was being used without instructions on the person's medicines record.
“there were no protocols to guide staff on the administration of medicines prescribed 'as necessary.'” from the report
Safeguarding delay
seriousOne safeguarding incident was not reported to the local authority promptly. Inspectors raised an alert after the inspection.
“one incident had not been reported to the local authority safeguarding team in a timely manner.” from the report
Weak management checks
seriousAudits and checks did not identify or correct several important problems. This left people at risk from inconsistent care.
“Audits and checks were not always robust and had not picked up on many of the issues and concerns identified during our inspection.” from the report
Staff communication
needs fixingSome staff felt unsupported and said communication with the management team could improve. Concerns raised during handovers were not recorded, so it was unclear whether action had been taken.
“Some staff told us they felt unsupported and not listened to by the management team.” from the report
- 01Have all care plans and risk assessments been reviewed after falls or changes in people's needs?
- 02What written guidance is now available for complex care tasks, catheter care and specialist healthcare tasks?
- 03Have protocols for medicines prescribed 'as necessary' been completed and checked?
- 04How are positional changes, skin checks and other daily monitoring records now reviewed by managers?
- 05What action was taken following the delayed safeguarding report and the two serious injuries?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led, with infection control included under Safe; the other key question ratings were not inspected and carried over from the previous comprehensive inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 June 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.
What inspectors found, April 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured that infection prevention and control measures were in place.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 5 March 2021. It looked at how the home was preventing and controlling infections during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors found PPE at the entrance, screening for visitors and staff, safe waste disposal, cleaning arrangements and ways for residents to keep in touch with families. Staff areas and communal spaces had been reorganised to support social distancing.
Inspectors were assured about the home's arrangements for visitors, admissions, PPE, testing, cleaning, outbreaks and infection control policies. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not give an overall quality rating.
Visitor safety
The home had PPE at the entrance, temperature checks, visitor screening and a separate visitors room with cleaning after each visit.
“There was a good supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) available at the entry for staff and visitors” from the report
Family contact
The home supported window visits, video calls and phone calls so residents could keep in touch with families.
“The visitors room had a separate entrance and cleaning protocol to be completed after each visitor.” from the report
Infection control planning
The manager worked with the local authority infection prevention and control team and followed its guidance. Staff were kept in the same areas where possible to reduce contacts.
“The registered manager worked closely with the local authority infection prevention control (IPC) team and followed their guidance.” from the report
Staffing and training
Additional staff had been recruited to reduce reliance on agency staff. Infection control information was displayed and training had been refreshed regularly.
“Additional staff had been recruited to minimise the need to rely on agency staff.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01Are the visitor screening, PPE and cleaning arrangements described in the report still being used?
- 02How does the home currently support visits, video calls and phone calls with families?
- 03How often is infection prevention and control training refreshed for staff?
- 04How does the home manage testing and possible infection outbreaks?
- 05When was the home's infection prevention and control policy last updated?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control under the Safe question only; the service was inspected but not rated and the other care questions were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 April 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.
Every inspection of Grove House Home for Older People
4 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- June 2021Requires improvementcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
Read what inspectors found at Grove House Home for Older People →
- April 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Grove House Home for Older People →
- March 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2014GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 2 February 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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85 live-in carers within about an hour of Lancashire
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 £1,260 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“She understands the needs of an elderly person in the early stages of dementia and has treated my mother with great kindness and skill.”
“Thanks to Tracy, Dad was always immaculately dressed and clean, his meals were all home cooked and nutritionally well balanced and his home was always kept really clean and tidy.”
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.