CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Longcroft Residential Care Home
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, recruitment checks, medicines systems, infection controls and processes for learning from incidents.
- Effective?
- Good
- This question was not inspected in this report. No rating was given.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not inspected in this report. No rating was given, although people and relatives gave positive feedback about their experience.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not inspected in this report. No rating was given.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a positive, inclusive culture. Inspectors found regular meetings, staff supervision, audits and involvement of people, relatives and staff in the running of the service.
What inspectors found, January 2021
Rated Good; inspectors found people were safe, supported to be independent and cared for by a well-led home.
This was an unannounced inspection on 14 December 2020. One inspector spoke with three people, a relative, the registered manager and a care worker. They also checked care and medicines records, staff files and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. Inspectors found suitable recruitment checks, trained staff, safe medicines systems, infection control measures and regular checks on risks, accidents and the building.
People and relatives spoke positively about the home. Inspectors found that people were involved in their care, supported to be independent and listened to. The home had a positive and inclusive culture.
The inspection followed the death of a person and a related criminal investigation. The report says this inspection did not examine the circumstances of that incident. The overall rating and both inspected ratings remained Good, the same as at the previous inspection.
Support for independence
Care plans and risk assessments were designed around people's needs while helping them remain as independent as possible.
“People were supported to be as independent as possible.” from the report
Safe staffing
The home used a consistent staff team and carried out checks before employing staff. People said enough staff were available when needed.
“There was an effective recruitment process in place. Checks were made to ensure staff recruited were suitable for the role they were employed for.” from the report
Positive leadership
The home had regular audits, staff meetings and supervision. People, relatives and staff were encouraged to give their views.
“There was a positive and inclusive culture.” from the report
Infection control
Inspectors were assured that the home had suitable arrangements for preventing and managing infections, including use of protective equipment and testing.
“We were assured that the provider was using PPE effectively and safely.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What has been learned from the incident mentioned in the report, and what changes have been made since then?
- 02How will you assess and support my relative's early warning signs of a mental health relapse?
- 03How do you check that medicines are given correctly and that staff remain competent to support people with medicines?
- 04How will my relative be involved in decisions about their care and in maintaining their independence?
- 05How will you keep relatives informed and involved in meetings and care reviews?
This was an unannounced inspection focused on Safe and Well-led, including infection prevention and control; the circumstances of the reported death were not examined and no new ratings were given for the other three questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 January 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, January 2019
Rated Good in all five areas; inspectors found kind, safe and person-centred care with strong support for independence.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 3 December 2018. One inspector spoke with two people, two support workers and the registered manager. The inspector also observed care and checked care, medicine, staff training and management records.
People told inspectors they felt safe and were treated with kindness and respect. Staff supported people to make choices, stay independent, keep in touch with family and friends, and take part in community activities.
The home was rated Good overall and Good for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating as at the previous inspection, published on 22 September 2016.
Choice and independence
People were supported to make everyday choices and do as much as possible for themselves. Staff also helped people work towards education, travel and volunteering goals.
“People were fully involved in their day to day lives through being empowered to make their own choices” from the report
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw warmth, humour and trust between people and staff. Staff listened, respected privacy and encouraged people to take part in their own care.
“There was a lot of shared humour and laughter. People obviously felt safe and comfortable in the staff presence and had formed trusting relationships.” from the report
Person-centred support
Care plans contained detailed information about people's needs, routines and preferences. Staff supported people to achieve individual aspirations, including college courses and community activities.
“People received person centred care. Each person was treated as an individual and their preferences and needs met by staff who understood them.” from the report
Safe medicines and risk management
The home had systems for ordering, giving and monitoring medicines. Risk assessments were detailed and staff understood how to balance safety with people's quality of life.
“Medicines continued to be managed safely. There were systems in place for ordering, administering and monitoring medicines.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How would you support my relative to set and work towards their own goals, such as education, volunteering or community activities?
- 02How do you make sure people remain independent while their risks are safely managed?
- 03When the registered manager is managing the other home, who is responsible for Longcroft and how can families contact them?
- 04How are care plans and risk assessments reviewed when someone's needs or preferences change?
- 05How can my relative and our family raise concerns, and how will we be told what action has been taken?
This was an unannounced planned inspection that looked at the overall service, including care, the premises, records, staff and management, and all five rating areas. This explanation was written from the published report of 16 January 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.
Every inspection of Longcroft Residential Care Home
3 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- January 2021Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Longcroft Residential Care Home →
- January 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Longcroft Residential Care Home →
- September 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2014Inspected but not rated
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 January 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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35 live-in carers within about an hour of Essex
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Most charge £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 25 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
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