CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Leighton Court Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found appropriate risk assessments, safe medicines systems, safeguarding procedures and infection control arrangements. The home was clean and well maintained.
- Effective?
- Good
- The report does not give a rating for Effective.
- Caring?
- Good
- The report does not give a rating for Caring, although feedback from people and relatives about the care was positive.
- Responsive?
- Good
- The report does not give a rating for Responsive.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- Management systems and audits were in place, but some records were kept in different places or were not completed clearly enough. This made it harder to maintain effective oversight.
What inspectors found, July 2021
Leighton Court Nursing Home rated Good overall; inspectors found safe care, but management records needed improvement.
Inspectors visited without notice on 3 and 4 June 2021. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked care, medicine, recruitment, accident and management records. They also checked infection control arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
People were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Inspectors found suitable risk assessments, safe medicine systems, appropriate infection control and a well-maintained home. Most people and staff felt there were enough staff, although some people said they sometimes had to wait for help.
The overall rating was Good. Safe improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection. Well-led fell from Good to Requires Improvement because records were not always clear enough for managers to oversee the service properly.
Safeguarding and risk management
Staff had safeguarding training and understood how to report concerns. Individual risks were assessed and care plans explained how to reduce them.
“Staff had undertaken safeguarding training and were clear about their responsibilities in reporting and recording any concerns.” from the report
Infection control
The home had arrangements for testing, isolation, visiting and personal protective equipment. Inspectors found the home clean and well maintained.
“There were regular cleaning schedules in place and the home was well maintained.” from the report
Communication with families
Relatives said they were kept updated about changes to their family member's health and wellbeing. Families were also told about accidents and incidents.
“Records showed that family members were informed in the event of accidents or incidents and relatives confirmed this.” from the report
Management records
needs fixingSome records were stored in different places or were not completed clearly enough. This made it difficult for managers to check that important monitoring had taken place.
“Records did not always allow for clear oversight to be maintained in some areas of the service and required some work to ensure all records were robustly and clearly completed.” from the report
Waiting for support
needs fixingFeedback about staffing was mixed. Some people said they were left waiting for help, although most people and staff felt staffing levels met people's needs and inspectors saw enough staff on duty.
“You can be left a long time waiting to be supported to go to the toilet.” from the report
Recruitment records
minorNot every staff file showed that gaps in employment history had been discussed. Other required recruitment checks had been completed.
“Not all files included evidence that gaps in employment history had been discussed, but records showed that all other necessary checks were made to ensure staff were suitable for the role.” from the report
- 01What has been done to make records of COVID-19 testing, temperature checks and repositioning support clear and easy to audit?
- 02How do you monitor how long people wait for help with toileting or after using the call bell?
- 03How do you make sure every staff recruitment file records discussions about gaps in employment history?
- 04How are relatives updated about changes in a person's health and wellbeing?
- 05How do you check that actions identified through audits have been completed?
This was a planned but unannounced inspection focused on Safe and Well-led; the report does not give ratings for Effective, Caring or Responsive. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 July 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.
What inspectors found, December 2018
Rated Good overall, but inspectors found staffing arrangements were not always safe because the home relied heavily on agency staff.
Inspectors visited on 13 and 19 November 2018. The first visit was unannounced. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives and staff. They observed care and checked care records, medicines, safety records and management information.
People told inspectors they felt safe and were treated kindly. Medicines were managed safely. Care plans were detailed and updated, staff had training and support, and people had suitable food, activities and access to health professionals.
The safe rating was Requires Improvement. There were enough staff on duty, but the home relied heavily on agency staff. Some agency workers did not know people or the home's routines. Staff also said people sometimes had to wait for care.
The other four areas were rated Good: Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The overall Good rating means inspectors found the service generally met people's needs, but improvements were needed to make staffing arrangements consistently safe.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors observed staff treating people with kindness and compassion. People said their dignity and privacy were respected.
“All the staff we observed and spoke with had a caring and respectful attitude and treated people with kindness and compassion.” from the report
Detailed care planning
Care files included information about people's needs, preferences and life stories. Plans and assessments were reviewed monthly and updated when needed.
“The care files we looked at provided person centred information regarding the care and support people required.” from the report
Safe medicines management
Medicines were stored securely and administration records were complete. Controlled medicines were checked twice daily.
“Medication administration records had been fully completed and reflected that the stock balance of medicines was checked at each administration.” from the report
Heavy reliance on agency staff
seriousAlthough there were enough staff on duty, many were agency workers. Some did not know the people they supported or the home's routines, and staff said people's needs were not always met promptly.
“There were enough staff to meet people's support needs, however there was a heavy reliance on Agency staff.” from the report
Staff rotas were unclear
needs fixingThe rotas did not clearly show which staff were working, including agency staff, or where they were working in the home. The manager said this would be addressed.
“The staff rotas did not show clearly who was on duty, including Agency staff, or who was working in each part of the home.” from the report
Some areas looked worn
minorThe home was clean and maintained, but some areas looked tired and worn, including the main lounge and ground-floor dining room.
“There remained areas of the environment that looked tired and worn, for example the main lounge and dining room on the ground floor.” from the report
Limited transport for activities
minorThe home had a minibus for trips out, but there was no one available to drive it at the time of inspection.
“The home had its own minibus for trips out but unfortunately there was currently no-one to drive it.” from the report
- 01How many permanent care staff are now in post, and how often are agency staff still being used?
- 02How do you make sure agency staff know my relative's care plan, preferences and daily routines?
- 03Have the staff rotas been changed so they clearly show who is working and in which part of the home?
- 04What progress has been made on the recruitment plan mentioned in the report?
- 05What plans are in place to improve the areas that inspectors described as tired and worn, and to provide transport for trips out?
This was a planned inspection of the overall service, covering all five CQC questions; the first inspection day was unannounced. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 December 2018 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 Leighton Court Nursing Home
5 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- July 2021Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- October 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2017Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- August 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 31 October 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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Most charge £980 to £1,230 a week. 37 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
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