CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Leonard's Croft
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that people were protected from abuse and avoidable harm. Risks, medicines, staffing, recruitment and infection control were managed safely.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in detail during this focused inspection. Its previous rating carries over from the earlier comprehensive inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in detail during this focused inspection. Its previous rating carries over from the earlier comprehensive inspection.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not assessed in detail during this focused inspection. Its previous rating carries over from the earlier comprehensive inspection.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found positive, person-centred leadership. Managers and staff understood their roles, involved people and relatives, and worked with health professionals.
What inspectors found, April 2023
Leonard's Croft is rated Good; inspectors found safe care and good leadership after checking safeguarding and staffing concerns.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 13 and 16 March 2023. Inspectors checked the Safe and Well-led areas after concerns about safeguarding and staffing. They found no evidence that people were at risk of harm from those concerns.
The home supports up to eight younger adults with learning disabilities and/or autism. Seven people were living there during the inspection. Inspectors spoke with a person, a relative, staff and health professionals. They also observed care and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The Safe rating was Good. Inspectors found that risks, medicines, safeguarding, staffing and infection control were managed safely. The Well-led rating was also Good. They found positive leadership, staff involvement and work with health professionals.
The overall rating remains Good, as it was at the previous inspection published in January 2020. This inspection did not reassess Caring, Effective or Responsive, so those ratings carry over from the earlier comprehensive inspection.
Risk management
People had up-to-date, person-centred risk assessments. Staff had clear information about how to support people safely.
“People had person-centred risk assessments in place which were up to date and reflected their current needs.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored, monitored and recorded safely. The report also describes support that helped one person reduce antipsychotic medicine.
“People's medicines were safely stored and monitored, through staff following effective processes.” from the report
Positive culture
Inspectors found staff and managers focused on people's quality of life and tailored support. They were also working to reduce restrictive practice.
“Staff and managers shared a positive culture which was person-centred and provided good outcomes for people.” from the report
Working with professionals
The home made referrals and followed advice from health and social care professionals. External professionals gave positive feedback about support for people's independence.
“The provider worked in partnership with other health and social care professions to help ensure people received effective care.” from the report
Recording completed actions
minorManagers took action to address shortfalls, but there was not always a clear record showing when actions had been completed. The home was also moving from paper to electronic records, with some duplication during the change.
“We found action was taken, however, there was not always a system in place to record when actions had been completed.” from the report
Reliance on agency staff
minorMost staff were agency staff, and the provider was recruiting permanent workers. Inspectors said the agency staff were employed by the service and received thorough inductions to support consistency.
“The staff group were made up of mostly agency staff, however they were only employed by the service, this helped ensure people received consistent care.” from the report
- 01How many permanent staff currently work at the home, and what is the plan for reducing the use of agency staff?
- 02How do you make sure agency staff know each person's risks, needs and preferences?
- 03How are completed actions from audits now recorded, including the date each action was finished?
- 04How is the move from paper to electronic records being managed, and how are you preventing duplicate or conflicting records?
- 05How are people and their relatives involved in reviewing care and raising concerns?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; Caring, Effective and Responsive were not reassessed and their previous ratings carry over. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 April 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, January 2020
Leonard's Croft is rated Good; inspectors found safe medicines support, enough staff and a warm, well-managed home.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 4 December 2019. Inspectors looked at whether people were safe and whether the home was well-led. They spoke with three people, staff and managers, and checked care, medicine, staff and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found that medicines were being managed safely, staff had the right training, people felt safe and there were enough staff. The home was clean, risks were assessed and staff knew how to respond if people became distressed.
The management systems were working well. People and staff could share their views, care plans were person-centred and the atmosphere was warm and friendly. The other three areas were not inspected during this visit, so their previous ratings were carried forward.
Medicines had improved
Inspectors found that the provider had acted on the medicine concerns from the previous inspection. Staff were trained and records showed medicines had been given as prescribed.
“At this inspection we found the provider had taken action to ensure people received their medicines safely and as prescribed.” from the report
Enough trained staff
People said there were enough staff to support them. Staff recruitment checks had been completed and staff had training to support people safely.
“People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff who had been recruited safely.” from the report
Person-centred support
Care plans and risk assessments reflected people's current needs. The home supported independence, community links and people's choice about who supported them.
“The outcomes for people using the service reflected the principles and values of Registering the Right Support by promoting choice and control, independence and inclusion.” from the report
Warm atmosphere
Inspectors observed kind and friendly interactions between staff and people. People were able to share their views in meetings and staff listened to suggestions.
“We observed there was a warm and friendly atmosphere where staff engaged with people in a kind and friendly manner.” from the report
Quality checks
The provider used audits to check care plans, staff training and the quality of the service. There was a clear management structure.
“The provider had systems in place to review, assess and monitor the quality of service provided to people.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How will you check that my relative's medicines records remain complete and accurate?
- 02How often are risk assessments and positive behaviour plans reviewed when a person's needs change?
- 03How will you make sure any agreed one-to-one support is provided every time it is needed?
- 04How can my relative help choose the staff who support them and give feedback about their care?
- 05What were the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive at the previous comprehensive inspection, and when will these areas next be reviewed?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the other ratings were carried forward from the previous comprehensive inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 January 2020 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 Leonard's Croft
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2023Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2020Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2018GoodSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- August 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 August 2017.
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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Staffordshire
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 £1,230 a week. 85 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“We particularly appreciate the companionship Dawn gives in the evenings when she plays cards and Scrabble with my mother.”
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.