CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Harpwood House
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 2022
Harpwood Care Home rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and strong management, with minor concerns about communication and the planned move to a new building.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 10 May 2022. Inspectors reviewed Safe and Well-led only. They spoke with 10 people, nine relatives and 13 staff, and checked care, medicines, recruitment, training and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, risks were assessed, medicines and infection control were managed safely, and there were enough staff. Staff knew people well and incidents were investigated so lessons could be learned.
The home had clear leadership and regular checks on quality. People and relatives were generally positive about the care, although some people had difficulty reading the newsletter and some relatives were worried that the move to a new building could affect the homely feel.
The overall rating stayed Good, matching the previous rating published in August 2019. The ratings for Caring, Responsive and Effective were carried forward because they were not inspected this time.
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives described staff as kind, gentle and helpful. Staff were said to know people well.
“People told us they felt safe and were happy living in Harpwood Care Home and described the staff as kind and gentle.” from the report
Good risk management
Care plans and risk assessments were up to date and gave staff clear information about risks such as falls, choking and skin damage.
“Care plans and risk assessments were clear, comprehensive and up to date.” from the report
Safe medicines and infection control
Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely. Inspectors were assured that infection risks, including outbreaks, were being managed.
“Medicines were managed safely in line with national guidance.” from the report
Strong quality monitoring
The home used regular audits, incident reviews and staff meetings to monitor care and share learning.
“The provider had a robust quality monitoring process. A range of audits were undertaken regularly, for example, infection control, medicines, care plans and key performance indicators.” from the report
Newsletter was difficult for some people to read
minorSome people could not read the newsletter because of its format and the need to download software. The manager said action would be taken.
“Some people told us they couldn't read the newsletter as it was in an unusual format and required a software download.” from the report
Worries about the planned move
minorSome relatives were concerned that moving to a new building later in the year could change the home's homely feel. The provider was aware of this concern.
“Some relatives were concerned that the homely feel may be lost when they move to the new building later in the year.” from the report
- 01What steps are being taken to keep the home feeling homely after the planned move?
- 02How will newsletters and other information be provided in a format that everyone can read?
- 03What are the current ratings for Caring, Responsive and Effective, which were not inspected in this visit?
- 04How will you keep families informed about changes to a person's care or health?
- 05How do you use incident reviews and audits to reduce risks for residents?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings were carried forward from the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 June 2022 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, August 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-organised care, with improvements since the previous Requires Improvement inspection.
Inspectors visited the home unannounced on 24 and 25 July 2019. They spoke with 13 people, five relatives and members of staff. They also reviewed care records, medicines, recruitment, training, complaints and management checks.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable training and good support for people living with dementia or communication needs.
People and relatives were positive about the care. The home had improved since a focused inspection in June 2018, when some areas were rated Requires Improvement and regulations had been breached. At this inspection, the report said the improvements were enough for the home to be no longer in breach.
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough care staff on duty and saw senior staff giving medicines correctly. Medicines were ordered, stored and checked through suitable systems.
“We found there were enough care staff on duty to provide people with the assistance they needed.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People were supported with dignity and privacy. Staff adapted their approach for people with dementia or communication needs.
“The service involved people and treated them with compassion, kindness, dignity and respect and involved them as partners in their care.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's needs and wishes. People were supported to choose how they spent their day and to take part in activities or hobbies.
“People received personalised care that was responsive to their needs.” from the report
Learning and oversight
The home used audits to check medicines, care records, incidents and health and safety. Inspectors found that action had been taken after the previous inspection.
“At this inspection we found that enough improvement had been made and the registered persons were no longer in breach of regulation 17.” from the report
Some parts of the building were worn
minorA relative said the home was old and worn at the edges. Inspectors nevertheless found it clean, well maintained and comfortable overall.
“This place is quite old now and a bit worn at the edges, but it's homely and clean.” from the report
- 01What changes were made after the June 2018 inspection, and how do you check that these improvements are still working?
- 02How do you involve relatives and health professionals when a person cannot make an important care decision?
- 03How do you check that medicines, including medicines given when needed, are administered safely?
- 04How would you support my relative to communicate their wishes if they have dementia or special communication needs?
- 05Which parts of the building have been updated or are planned for improvement?
This was an unannounced planned inspection that assessed the overall service, including premises, care, records, staff and management, and rated all five key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 August 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 Harpwood House
4 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 1 February 2016.
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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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Always on time and with a lovely smile for my mum. Theresa is kind and sensitive to my mum's needs.”
“Irene was a very kind and empathetic carer who knew just the right words to say to put a smile on my face.”
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.