CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Keychange Charity Erith House Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found effective safeguarding, risk management, staffing, medicines and infection-control arrangements. People said they felt safe and there were enough staff to meet their needs.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and care was reviewed when needs changed. Staff had relevant training, people were supported with food, drink and healthcare, and consent processes were followed.
- Caring?
- Good
- Staff were observed treating people with patience, kindness, dignity and respect. People were involved in choices about their care and lifestyle.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were detailed and staff knew people's routines, preferences and communication needs. Activities, family contact and links with other services supported people's wellbeing.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found approachable management, positive staff relationships and regular checks on care, medicines, the environment and infection control. The home had made improvements since the previous inspection.
What inspectors found, June 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe and personalised care, with some improvements needed for dementia-friendly signs, privacy and accessible menus.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 14 and 15 May 2019. Inspectors met 19 people, spoke with 12 people, three relatives and staff, and reviewed care, medicines, recruitment, incident and quality records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough trained staff, safe medicines systems, good links with health professionals and respectful care that supported people's choices and independence.
The report also identified some improvements. Signage could better help people living with dementia find their way around. Staff paperwork and phone calls risked exposing private information, and the menu was not available in a format everyone could understand.
The home was still rated Good overall, the same as at the previous inspection published in November 2016. CQC made a recommendation about the environment and signage and said it would continue to monitor the service.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives described staff as kind and compassionate. Inspectors saw patient, reassuring interactions and support that respected people's independence.
“We saw staff treated people with upmost patience and kindness.” from the report
Safe staffing
Staffing levels were planned around people's needs, including when people needed two staff or support to walk safely. People said staff were available and did not rush them.
“Every person we spoke with said there was always enough staff to meet their needs and to support them safely.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's individual routines and preferences. Staff adapted how they communicated, including for people living with dementia or after a stroke.
“Care plans were detailed and contained information, which was specific to people's individual needs and routines they liked.” from the report
Good partnership working
The home worked with doctors, nurses, mental health services and other professionals when people's needs changed. This helped some people remain at the home.
“The service was flexible and responsive to people's needs.” from the report
Strong management checks
The home used regular audits, monthly quality reports and provider visits to identify and follow up improvements. New facilities and an electronic care-record system had been introduced since the previous inspection.
“Systems had been developed to ensure performance remained good and continued to improve.” from the report
Dementia-friendly signage
needs fixingSignage around the home was limited. Inspectors recommended that the home look at current best practice to make the environment easier for people living with dementia to understand and navigate.
“It was noted that signage around the home was limited and could be improved to help people living with dementia orientate themselves as their condition progressed.” from the report
Privacy of information
needs fixingA room used for paperwork and phone calls was next to the main sitting room. Inspectors said people's private information might be seen or heard by others, although the room was not being used on the second inspection day.
“Due to the location of the room it did mean that there was a risk of people's private information being seen or heard by other people and visitors.” from the report
Accessible menus
minorThe menu was not available in a format that all people could access and understand. The manager said this would be updated.
“It was noted that the menu was not available in a format all people could access and understand.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to signage to help people living with dementia find their way around?
- 02Where are care records, paperwork and phone calls handled now, and how do you protect people's private information?
- 03Can you provide menus in a format my relative can access and understand?
- 04How would you meet my relative's particular care, mobility, communication or mental health needs?
- 05What improvements have been made since the May 2019 inspection and the previous inspection in November 2016?
This was an unannounced planned inspection that looked at all five CQC questions, including the care and accommodation provided by the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 June 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.
What inspectors found, November 2016
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care, with staffing levels needing continued review.
This was an unannounced inspection on 19 and 21 October 2016. One inspector met or spoke with all 19 people living in the home, staff, visitors and a healthcare professional. Records about care, medicines, staffing, complaints and quality checks were also reviewed.
The inspectors rated the home Good overall and Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. They found that people were treated kindly, their care was personalised, medicines were generally managed safely, and risks were assessed and reviewed.
There were some points to improve. People and staff gave mixed views about whether there were always enough staff, so the inspectors recommended keeping staffing levels under review. Some handwritten medicine records were not double signed, and care plans contained repeated information that could make them harder to use.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff communicating warmly and patiently. People’s privacy and dignity were respected during personal care.
“People's needs were met by kind and caring staff.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people’s preferences and life histories. Staff knew how people liked to be supported and updated plans when needs changed.
“Care plans were reviewed regularly and updated as people's needs and wishes changed.” from the report
Staff training
The home had a broad training programme, including medicines, first aid, moving and transferring, dementia care and catheter care.
“There was a comprehensive staff training programme in place and a system that indicated when updates were needed.” from the report
Risk management
Risks such as falls, malnutrition, skin breakdown and mobility were assessed. Equipment and emergency plans were in place.
“Good assessments ensured any risks to people's health and welfare were minimised.” from the report
Responsive help
Inspectors saw people’s needs met promptly, with call bells answered quickly. The home offered activities and respected people’s choice not to take part.
“During the inspection we saw people's needs being met in a timely way and call bells were answered quickly.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The home carried out regular checks on medicines, care plans, accidents and incidents, and used feedback to make changes.
“There were systems in place to assess, monitor, and improve the quality and safety of care.” from the report
Staffing levels
needs fixingPeople, visitors and staff gave mixed views about staffing. Staff said sickness and holidays could make work rushed, particularly around supper time.
“We recommend staffing levels are kept under review.” from the report
Medicine record checks
needs fixingA recent medicine error caused no ill effects, but some handwritten medicine records were not double signed. This meant there was not always a second check against the prescription.
“However, hand written entries on Medicine Administration Records (MARs) were not always double signed.” from the report
Mental capacity training
minorStaff understood the relevant legal principles, but had not yet completed their training on the Mental Capacity Act.
“Staff had not yet completed their training in the MCA, which they were working through on the e-learning system.” from the report
- 01How do you decide the number of staff needed when people’s care needs change?
- 02What action has been taken to make sure handwritten medicine records are double signed every time?
- 03How are care plans being simplified so staff can find important information quickly?
- 04How do you support people who need nursing care, since nursing care is not provided by the home?
- 05How often is the registered manager present, and who leads the home when they are working at the other service?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five questions and the overall rating, using observations, discussions and records. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 November 2016 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 Keychange Charity Erith House Care Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Keychange Charity Erith House Care Home →
- November 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Keychange Charity Erith House Care Home →
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 15 February 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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