CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at High Peak Lodge Residential & Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People felt safe. Inspectors found that safeguarding, staffing, medicines, risk management and infection control systems were effective.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used in calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Managers used audits, monitoring and action plans to oversee quality and safety. People, relatives and staff were asked for their views.
What inspectors found, July 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, well-managed care, although the home was in administration and some staffing and visiting issues needed attention.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 28 June and 6 July 2023. Inspectors spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care records, medicines, risk assessments, safety records and management information.
The home was rated Good overall. People said they felt safe and spoke positively about the care. Inspectors found safe medicines management, suitable safeguarding arrangements, effective infection control and systems for learning from accidents and incidents.
The home was also rated Good for being well-led. Managers used audits and action plans to monitor and improve the service. However, the provider and home were in administration, and some staff were worried about the future.
This inspection only examined Safe and Well-led. The other ratings were carried forward from the previous comprehensive inspection, published in October 2019, and the overall rating remained Good.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe, and staff had safeguarding training and knew how to report concerns.
“People told us they felt safe living at High Peak Lodge.” from the report
Medicines were managed safely
Inspectors found that medicines were stored and given safely, with accurate administration records and clear guidance for medicines given when needed.
“Medicines were managed and administered safely by staff, who had received training and were assessed as competent to do so.” from the report
Clean and good infection control
The home was clean and had up-to-date infection control procedures. Cleaning records were completed consistently.
“The home was clean with effective infection control processes in place.” from the report
Quality was monitored
Managers used audits and action plans to identify work and track improvements. Accidents and incidents were reviewed for patterns and lessons.
“Action plans were generated from audits and used to drive improvements.” from the report
Positive views of care
People and most relatives spoke positively about the care and support. People said they liked living at the home.
“People said they liked living at the home and were happy with the care and support they received.” from the report
Staffing at busy times
needs fixingSome staff and two relatives felt more staff might be needed at particular times, including early mornings and mealtimes. Inspectors found that people who needed help to eat received it promptly, and managers agreed to review staffing.
“Some staff told us they felt more staff were needed during certain parts of the day, such as early morning when supporting people to get ready for the day.” from the report
Uncertainty about the home's future
minorThe provider and home were in administration at the time of inspection. Staff said they felt anxious about what would happen.
“At the time of inspection, the provider and subsequently the home was in administration.” from the report
Visiting information
minorSome relatives thought protected mealtimes restricted visiting. The manager said the home would improve its communication so families understood that visits were allowed at any time under current guidance.
“Some relatives told us about protected mealtimes, which they felt resulted in some restriction on visiting.” from the report
How often views were collected
minorThe home collected views through meetings and questionnaires, but inspectors could not tell how often the questionnaires were sent.
“People and relative's views were captured via resident and relative meetings, as well as questionnaires, though it was not clear how often these were circulated.” from the report
- 01How many staff are scheduled during early mornings and mealtimes, and how do you respond if more help is needed?
- 02What is the current position of the home's administration, and how are families and staff being kept informed?
- 03Can relatives visit during protected mealtimes, and how are visiting arrangements explained to families?
- 04How often are resident and relative questionnaires sent, and how are the results used?
- 05What were the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive at the last comprehensive inspection?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their previous ratings were carried forward. This explanation was written from the published report of 27 July 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.
What inspectors found, February 2021
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control arrangements, but some cleaning and agency staff testing checks needed improvement.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 5 February 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic.
Inspectors found the home had suitable arrangements for visits, testing, isolation, social distancing, protective equipment and cleaning supplies. They were assured that people were being admitted safely and that infection risks were being managed.
There were two areas to improve. A checklist for regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces was missing. Lateral flow testing for some agency staff covering last-minute absences was not yet part of normal practice, although this was dealt with during the inspection.
The home was inspected but not rated. This report therefore does not give a Good, Requires improvement or Inadequate rating.
Controlled end-of-life visits
The home had detailed safety checks for visits by relatives supporting people receiving end-of-life care.
“The home had a robust process in place for facilitating controlled visits for people receiving end of life care.” from the report
Safe admissions and isolation
New admissions were tested and isolated before joining communal areas. Staff were also allocated to specific areas to reduce the risk of infection spreading.
“Any admissions had included completion of testing and a 14-day isolation period, before people had been supported to integrate into the communal areas of the home.” from the report
Protective equipment arrangements
Protective equipment and cleaning products were stored and used appropriately, with stations and guidance available around the home.
“PPE stations had been set up across the home, with donning and doffing guidance displayed at various points throughout to ensure guidance was followed.” from the report
Frequent-touchpoint cleaning records
needs fixingThe home used cleaning checklists, but inspectors found no checklist specifically recording regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces.
“Cleaning checklists had been used, however one which specifically documented the regular cleaning of frequent touch points was not in place.” from the report
Testing of some agency staff
needs fixingTesting on arrival was not consistently established for agency staff brought in at short notice. The home addressed this during the inspection.
“However, where additional agency staff had been used to cover last minute absences or sickness, completion of lateral flow tests upon arrival was not embedded into practice.” from the report
- 01How do you now record regular cleaning of frequently touched surfaces?
- 02How do you ensure agency staff covering last-minute absences complete a lateral flow test when they arrive?
- 03What infection control arrangements are currently in place for visits from relatives?
- 04How are new admissions tested and supported during their isolation period?
- 05How do you check that protective equipment is being used correctly across the home?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic; the service was inspected but not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 24 February 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 High Peak Lodge Residential & Nursing Home
2 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at High Peak Lodge Residential & Nursing Home →
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at High Peak Lodge Residential & Nursing Home →
- October 2019GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2018
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 2 October 2018.
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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