CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Grovelands Farmhouse
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing and managing infection risks, including through protective equipment, testing, cleaning, visitor checks and social distancing.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, September 2021
Rated Good overall; inspectors found strong infection controls, but Safe was inspected without a rating.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 7 September 2021. It checked infection prevention and control because the home had experienced a COVID-19 outbreak.
Inspectors found that the home was clean and hygienic. Staff used protective equipment correctly, visitors were screened, testing was available, and people were supported to follow isolation or distancing guidance when needed.
The home supported people to keep in touch with relatives during the outbreak. Inspectors also found that its staffing arrangements helped prevent the outbreak in the main building reaching people living in the flats.
The overall service rating was Good. However, Safe was inspected but not rated, and this report does not give ratings for the other four areas.
Infection control
The home had additional cleaning schedules and regularly cleaned frequently touched areas. Inspectors found the service clean and hygienic.
“Additional cleaning schedules had been implemented since the beginning of the pandemic, including the continuous cleaning of high-touch areas such as door handles and switches.” from the report
Protective equipment and testing
Staff received training in using protective equipment. Staff and visitors were subject to testing or screening arrangements.
“All visitors to the home were required to wear appropriate PPE and screened before entering the service, which included a Lateral Flow Test and checks on temperature and oxygen levels.” from the report
Reducing spread
The home's staffing arrangements helped keep the outbreak in the main building from reaching people living in the adjacent flats.
“The home's staffing model ensured people received consistent support and prevented the outbreak in the main building from reaching the people living in the flats.” from the report
Contact with relatives
During the outbreak, people were supported to stay in contact with relatives by telephone or video calls. Visits were also supported safely when guidance allowed.
“During the outbreak, people had been supported to stay in contact with their relatives using the telephone or video calls.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you currently prevent and manage infection outbreaks in the main house and the adjacent flats?
- 02What cleaning schedule is used for frequently touched areas, and how is this checked?
- 03What screening, testing and protective equipment arrangements apply to visitors and staff now?
- 04How would my relative keep in touch with family if visits were restricted during an outbreak?
- 05How do you keep people safe if they develop symptoms or test positive for COVID-19?
This was an unannounced targeted inspection of infection prevention and control; Safe was inspected but not rated, and the report does not rate Effective, Caring, Responsive or Well-led. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 September 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, July 2019
Grovelands Farmhouse was rated Good; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, with a few safety issues corrected during or after the inspection.
This was an unannounced inspection on 13 May 2019. One inspector spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home supported up to nine younger adults with a learning disability and/or autism. Inspectors found people were treated kindly, involved in decisions, supported to be independent and helped to take part in activities in the home and community.
The home had enough trained staff. Medicines were managed safely, people received help to access healthcare, and the home was clean and well maintained. A driveway obstruction and unsafe trampolines were identified, but action was taken to put these right.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The previous inspection, published in December 2016, was also Good, so the overall rating continued unchanged.
Kind and respectful care
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff took time to understand people, including those who communicated without speech.
“People were supported and treated with dignity and respect; and involved as partners in their care.” from the report
Independence and choice
People were supported to choose their activities, develop daily living skills and become more independent. Some people had paid or voluntary work.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible for them to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Safe medicines and clean surroundings
Medicines were ordered, stored, given and recorded safely. The home was clean and had arrangements to reduce infection risks.
“Medicines were managed safely. There were effective systems to ensure medicines were ordered, stored, administered and monitored safely.” from the report
Home larger than current guidance
minorThe home was registered for nine people, which inspectors said was larger than current best practice guidance. They judged that the building design and setting reduced the negative impact.
“This is larger than current best practice guidance.” from the report
Safety of outdoor equipment
minorTwo trampolines were initially in poor repair and on uneven ground. They were not being used, and evidence provided after the inspection showed they had been repaired and moved.
“Two trampolines which were used by one person were in a poor state of repair and on uneven ground.” from the report
- 01What daily checks are now made on the trampolines and other outdoor equipment?
- 02How do you make sure the home’s size does not reduce people’s privacy, choice or sense of living in a domestic setting?
- 03How will you support my relative to communicate their choices and raise a complaint?
- 04What activities, work or community opportunities could my relative take part in?
- 05How will my relative and our family be involved in care reviews and decisions about restrictions?
This was an unannounced planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the care provided and the premises. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 July 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.
Every inspection of Grovelands Farmhouse
3 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- September 2021Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2019Goodstayed Good
- December 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 5 December 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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Most charge £980 to £1,250 a week. 66 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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