CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Harper Fields
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing and managing infection risks, including through visiting arrangements, protective equipment, testing, cleaning and an up-to-date policy.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not covered by this inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not covered by this inspection.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not covered by this inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- This question was not covered by this inspection.
What inspectors found, November 2020
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection control and found good ways to support visits and contact.
Inspectors visited the home on 26 October 2020. The announced inspection was part of the CQC's coronavirus review of infection prevention and control in care homes.
They found good arrangements for visitors, including temperature checks, risk assessments and a visiting room with a glass screen and speaker system. People were also supported to keep in touch with relatives and others through letters, video and telephone calls.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using personal protective equipment safely, following social distancing and shielding rules, arranging testing, and keeping its infection control policy up to date.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the report gives an assurance about infection control at that visit, rather than a full overall quality rating.
Safer visiting
Visitors had their temperature recorded and completed a risk assessment. A separate visiting room helped people and visitors see and hear each other while keeping social distance.
“The room was partitioned by a glass screen and a speaker system was installed.” from the report
Keeping in touch
People were supported to maintain contact with important people in several ways, including letters, video calls and telephone calls.
“People had been supported to maintain contact with people who were important to them in a variety of ways.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home was using protective equipment safely, following social distancing rules and managing possible outbreaks.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Cleaning checks
The home had increased cleaning schedules and introduced extra audits to monitor cleanliness and staff compliance with its infection control policy.
“Cleaning schedules had been increased and additional audits had been implemented to monitor cleanliness and staff compliance with the provider's infection control policy.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are visitors currently checked and risk assessed before entering the home?
- 02Is the visiting room or another arrangement still available, and how are visits managed when infection risks change?
- 03How often are residents and staff tested, and what happens if someone tests positive?
- 04How do you check that cleaning schedules and staff infection control procedures are being followed?
- 05How will you help my relative keep in touch with family if face-to-face visits are restricted?
This was an announced infection prevention and control review during the coronavirus pandemic; it did not rate the other four CQC questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 November 2020 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, May 2018
Rated Good overall, but Safe Requires Improvement because medicines procedures and some care records were not always completed consistently.
Inspectors carried out an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 21 March 2018. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff. They observed care and mealtimes, and checked care plans, daily records, medicines records and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall. Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led were all rated Good. Inspectors found kind and respectful staff, suitable training, enough staff, good support with food and drink, personalised care and a wide range of activities.
Safe was rated Requires Improvement. There had been improvement since the previous inspection in skin care and wound management, and the earlier breach was no longer present. However, medicines procedures were not always followed, and some wound, fluid and behaviour records needed to be more complete.
Kind and reassuring staff
Inspectors saw staff who understood people well, offered affection and reassurance, and encouraged people to take part in their own care.
“People were extremely comfortable in the presence of staff who gave people understanding, affection and physical reassurance when they needed it.” from the report
Personalised activities
People could choose from activities based on their interests, including exercise, clubs, trips, reminiscence and individual wishes.
“People were able to take part in a wide range of leisure activities and other pursuits which reflected their choice and interests and promoted their physical, emotional and mental health.” from the report
Good staff training
New and existing staff received induction, refresher training, supervision and extra training when inspectors or managers identified a need.
“Staff told us they received regular refresher training and that the registered manager sourced additional training when a need was identified.” from the report
Strong management checks
The manager and provider carried out audits covering care plans, medicines, safety, nutrition, accidents and incidents.
“The registered manager conducted regular audits of the quality of the service.” from the report
Medicines procedures
seriousStaff did not always watch people take their medicines before recording them. Some medicines were not given at the required time before food, and two as-required medicines did not have protocols.
“However, the provider needed to ensure safe medicines management was consistently followed throughout the home.” from the report
Wound records
needs fixingSome wound charts did not clearly record each wound's location, size, depth or description. The manager said individual wound charts and further checks would be introduced.
“However, we found these could be improved because where people had more than one wound or area of skin damage, there was only one wound chart so it was difficult to establish the condition of each individual wound.” from the report
Monitoring fluid output
needs fixingFluid intake was recorded for people at risk of not drinking enough, but output was not always recorded. Inspectors said this was particularly important for people with catheters.
“Where people were at risk of not drinking enough, their fluid intake was recorded, but their output was not always recorded.” from the report
Behaviour records
needs fixingABC charts used to understand what triggered distress or agitation were not updated consistently. Daily records also did not always explain clearly what behaviour had occurred.
“However, when we checked the ABC charts it did not appear these were being used consistently.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to ensure staff watch people take every medicine before signing the medicines record?
- 02How do you make sure medicines that must be given before food are given at the correct time?
- 03How are medicines given secretly authorised, recorded and checked to make sure the right person takes the full dose?
- 04Are individual wound charts now used for every wound, including its location, size, depth and progress?
- 05How do staff now record fluid output and changes in behaviour consistently?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, with particular attention to skin damage, wound care and medicines management. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 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.
Every inspection of Harper Fields
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- May 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 September 2012.
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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At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Solihull
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 £1,250 a week. 78 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“If you bump into her in the night on her way to the bathroom she will still inquire how you are and if everything is alright.”
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
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.