CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Kirksanton Care Centre
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found suitable risk assessments, enough staff, safe medicines practice, recruitment checks and infection control arrangements.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not reviewed during the focused inspection. The report says the previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This key question was not reviewed during the focused inspection. The report says the previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This key question was not reviewed during the focused inspection. The report says the previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The provider and registered manager monitored safety and quality, involved people and families, and acted on incidents and feedback. Inspectors found the service was consistently managed and well-led.
What inspectors found, November 2023
Kirksanton Care Centre was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-managed care during a focused inspection.
This was an unannounced focused inspection. One inspector visited on 5 October 2023 and reviewed information from before and during the inspection. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, looked around the home and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
The inspectors found that people were safe and protected from abuse. Risks were assessed, staffing levels were sufficient, medicines were handled safely and infection control arrangements were in place. Staff had suitable training and recruitment checks.
People received person-centred care from staff who knew them well. The home involved people and families in decisions, worked with other services and had systems to monitor quality and learn from incidents. The ratings for Safe and Well-led were Good and the overall rating remained Good.
Enough staff
Inspectors found there were enough staff with the right skills to meet people's needs. Staff had time to spend with people and created a calm atmosphere.
“People received the care they needed because there were enough staff to support them.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored, given and recorded safely. Staff handling medicines had training and their competence was checked.
“The registered manager completed regular medicines audits to check people had received their medicines as they needed.” from the report
Person-centred care
Staff knew people well and included people and families in decisions. Care took account of individual preferences.
“They included people and their families in decisions about their care to ensure care focused on what was important to individuals and took account of their preferences.” from the report
Positive views
People valued the home, and staff said they were proud of the service and felt supported.
“People valued the service and said they would recommend it.” from the report
Quality monitoring
The provider and registered manager used audits, meetings, surveys and incident reviews to monitor and improve the service.
“The provider and registered manager were committed to the continuous improvement of the service.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you assess staffing levels and skill mix for my relative's needs on each shift?
- 02How will you monitor my relative's medicines and make sure records remain accurate?
- 03How do you involve relatives in decisions about a person's care and preferences?
- 04What improvements have been made to the home since the inspection?
- 05How do you check that infection control arrangements remain effective?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led, with infection prevention and control also considered; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their previous ratings were carried forward. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 November 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, December 2017
Kirksanton Care Centre was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and well-managed care, with fewer activities while a post was vacant.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 14 November 2017. They spoke with people living there, relatives, staff and health professionals. They reviewed care files, medicines, staffing, training, food, safety records and the home’s quality checks.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found suitable risk assessments, safe medicines arrangements, trained staff, good personal care and respectful relationships. People’s health, nutrition, consent and end-of-life wishes were supported.
The report also noted some limitations. Recruiting staff was difficult because of the rural location, and the activities organiser post was vacant. Some areas of the building looked tired, although repairs and wider improvements were planned.
The report says the home remained Good, matching its previous overall rating. This means inspectors found the service met the expected standards at this inspection, but it was not judged Outstanding.
People felt safe
People and relatives told inspectors they had no worries about safety. Staff understood safeguarding and how to report concerns.
“A visiting relative said, "I come in four times a week, there is always staff about, I have no worries at all” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed caring interactions and found that staff treated people with dignity, patience and respect.
“We observed affectionate and appropriate interactions in all areas of the home.” from the report
Good food and health support
The food was well prepared and people’s special diets and nutritional needs were supported. Health professionals visited regularly and staff followed treatment plans.
“People ate well and told us they enjoyed the food.” from the report
Strong management
The manager was experienced and had created an open culture. The provider used audits and feedback to monitor the service and plan improvements.
“The provider had a quality monitoring system that used the policies and procedures of the service as a benchmark.” from the report
Fewer activities
needs fixingThe activities organiser post was vacant, and people said they had not been out as much and felt bored. Staff were trying to provide activities while recruitment continued.
“We are a bit short staffed at the minute so we haven't been out so much...am a bit bored.” from the report
Staff vacancies
needs fixingThe home had vacancies that were difficult to fill because of its rural location. Plans were being considered to attract more staff and increase staff presence at lunchtime.
“Staffing levels were suitable but some vacancies were proving hard to fill due to the rural situation.” from the report
Some areas needed upgrading
minorSome parts of the building looked tired. Repairs and a larger refurbishment programme were planned.
“We saw that some parts of the Annex looked a little tired but that the maintenance person had been decorating and repairing some rooms.” from the report
- 01Has the activities organiser post now been filled, and how often do residents receive outings and organised activities?
- 02How are staffing vacancies being covered, especially at lunchtime and during activities?
- 03Which areas of the building have been upgraded since the inspection, and what work is still planned?
- 04How will residents and families be involved in the planned changes to care planning?
- 05How can residents and families see and comment on their care plans?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall rating; the report says the service remained Good compared with its previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 December 2017 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 Kirksanton Care Centre
3 rated inspections over 9 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- November 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 9 December 2010.
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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