CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Herons Park Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, September 2023
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind, responsive care, but unsafe medicines management and weak oversight led to warning notices.
Inspectors visited unannounced on 7 and 12 July 2023. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care records, medicines records, risk assessments, staff files and management audits.
The home was rated Good for caring and responsive care. People and relatives described staff as kind, respectful and willing to listen. People had activities, contact with relatives, food choices and support from health professionals.
The home was rated Requires Improvement overall, and also for safe, effective and well-led care. Inspectors found repeated problems with medicines, risk records, safeguarding referrals, incident follow-up and the quality checks used by managers.
The report says this was the first inspection of the newly registered service. The previous provider's service had been rated Good in 2018. The CQC required an action plan and said it would monitor progress.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives said staff were caring, patient and respectful. Inspectors also observed sensitive interactions and involvement in decisions.
“Nursing and care staff were seen to be kind and caring in their approach.” from the report
Enough staff
The report says there were enough staff to support people safely. People said call bells were answered promptly.
“There was enough staff to support people safely and people confirmed this.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People could join activities such as gardening, music, games and hand massage. Staff also supported people who could not attend group activities.
“People were supported to take part in activities such as bingo, skittles, music sessions, hand massage and gardening.” from the report
Food and healthcare support
People received choices of food, support with dietary needs and access to health professionals. Staff knew about people's food preferences and required diets.
“People were provided with enough food, and staff knew how people needed to be supported, and what people's preferences were with food.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured about infection prevention, use of protective equipment and managing possible outbreaks.
“We were assured that the provider was responding effectively to risks and signs of infection.” from the report
Medicines were not always safe
seriousThere were missing signatures, unclear instructions, medicines missed when people were asleep and creams kept where others could access them. Staff had not always had their competence checked.
“The management of medicines was not always safe and people were at risk of not always receiving their medicines as prescribed.” from the report
Risks were not managed consistently
seriousInspectors found weak follow-up after incidents, incomplete wound care plans and delays in responding to a head injury. Some sensor mats were also positioned so falls might not be noticed quickly.
“Although the fall happened at 5:25am, no healthcare professionals had been contacted until we brought this to the registered manager's attention at 13:08pm.” from the report
Safeguarding concerns were not always reported
seriousSome incidents involving possible physical abuse did not include enough information about action taken. Safeguarding referrals and CQC notifications were not always made.
“Incident forms lacked details of any action taken where incidents of physical abuse had occurred.” from the report
Care records needed more detail
needs fixingSome care plans did not record behavioural triggers or enough information about wound treatment. This could make care less consistent, particularly for agency staff.
“We found wound care plans were lacking details.” from the report
Management checks did not find problems
seriousThe home's audits did not identify the medicine and incident-management problems found by inspectors. Improvements were still incomplete on the second inspection day.
“The audits carried out by the provider did not identify the shortfalls we found during the inspection.” from the report
- 01What has changed in your medicines system since the inspection, and how do you check that every medicine is given and recorded correctly?
- 02How do you make sure staff are competent to apply topical creams and manage other medicines?
- 03What is your current process for responding to falls, head injuries, wounds and other incidents?
- 04How do you ensure safeguarding concerns and notifiable incidents are reported to the right authorities without delay?
- 05What action plan did you send to the CQC, and what evidence can you show that the warning notices have been addressed?
This was an unannounced first inspection of the newly registered care home covering all five CQC key questions, including infection prevention and control under Safe. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 September 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.
Every inspection of Herons Park Nursing Home
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- September 2023Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- September 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 January 2020.
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 Worcestershire
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. 85 can care for a couple. 9 years' experience on average.
“I have never met a person who is so kind and thinks about others before himself to such an extent as Chris Malagala.”
“She was very caring, kind and patient to all his needs, she built up a wondetful rapport with him, she was dedicated and was there for him through good times as well as through the tough times”
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.