CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Lovat House Residential Care
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- People felt safe and safeguarding systems worked effectively. However, inspectors found risks from hot water, including missing or unchecked thermostatic mixing valves and incomplete safety documentation.
- Effective?
- Requires improvement
- Care plans, food support and access to health professionals were positive. Staff training was not up to date, including training for catheter care, and supervision and appraisals had not been carried out as required.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors observed a warm and caring atmosphere. People and relatives said staff were kind, respectful, approachable and responsive.
- Responsive?
- Requires improvement
- Care plans were detailed and activities were available. However, people were not always involved in care planning, and end of life wishes were not always discussed or included in care plans.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- Staff described managers as approachable and open. However, quality checks were not effective enough, including audits of care plans and risk assessments and recording lessons from incidents.
What inspectors found, September 2022
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care, but concerns about safety checks, staff training and how the home was managed.
Inspectors visited on 28 July 2022. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, and checked medicines, care plans, risk assessments, recruitment records and management audits. They also looked at the building and infection control.
People were generally treated with kindness and respect. Staff knew people well, supported their nutrition and worked with health and social care professionals. Activities were available, and people could raise concerns.
However, the home did not always manage safety risks properly. Inspectors found problems with hot water safety checks and risk assessments. Seven of 16 staff were not up to date with mandatory training, and staff had not received regular supervision or appraisals.
The overall rating and four of the five areas were Requires Improvement. Caring was rated Good. The provider must send an action plan, and CQC will monitor progress and may take further action if needed.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives described staff as caring, approachable and respectful. Inspectors observed friendly, person-centred conversations.
“We get cared for very well. It is very good. We regard them as friends.” from the report
Personalised care and activities
Care plans included people's likes, dislikes, life histories and routines. Staff offered activities and recorded whether people took part or declined.
“There were detailed records of activities people had been offered, participated in or refused.” from the report
Food and health support
The home recorded food preferences, monitored people at risk of dehydration or malnutrition and worked with health professionals.
“People were supported to eat and drink enough to maintain a balanced diet.” from the report
Hot water safety
seriousPeople were put at risk of scalding. Some areas did not have thermostatic mixing valves, and there were no adequate risk assessments or fail-safe checks for some valves.
“People were placed at risk from scalding due to hot water.” from the report
Staff training and support
seriousSeven of 16 staff were not up to date with mandatory training. Staff had not received supervision since March 2021 and there was no evidence of appraisals in the previous year.
“Supervision sessions with staff had not been completed since March 2021.” from the report
Weak quality checks
seriousManagement systems did not reliably identify and correct problems. There were no effective audits of care plans and risk assessments, and lessons from incidents were not recorded.
“The registered manager did not always effectively operate quality assurance and governance systems to drive continuous improvement in the service.” from the report
Involvement in care planning
needs fixingSome people said they were not involved in reviewing their care. Care plans did not always show that people's wishes had been discussed.
“Three out of the six people we spoke with felt they were not always involved in reviews of their care” from the report
End of life planning
needs fixingEnd of life wishes were recorded separately but were not always discussed with the person or included in their care plan.
“There was no evidence this had been discussed with the person.” from the report
Complaint outcomes
minorPeople said they were listened to when they complained, but did not always know what action or outcome followed.
“I felt listened to when I raised the complaint but whether there is an outcome to it I don't know.” from the report
- 01What has been done to make sure hot water temperatures are safe, and are all thermostatic mixing valves now checked regularly?
- 02How many staff are now up to date with mandatory training, including catheter care training?
- 03Are staff now receiving supervision and appraisals in line with the home's policy?
- 04How are you checking care plans and risk assessments, and recording lessons from incidents?
- 05How will people and their families be involved in reviewing care plans and recording end of life wishes?
This was the first inspection of the newly registered service and covered the premises and care across all five CQC questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 September 2022 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 Lovat House Residential Care
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- September 2022Requires improvementcurrent ratingSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
Read what inspectors found at Lovat House Residential Care →
- April 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- January 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2016GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2021
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 26 May 2021.
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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78 live-in carers within about an hour of Wokingham
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 71 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“I can truly say that Peter always put Dad at the centre of everything and I know that they found a great friendship in difficult times.”
“Not only has she looked after him beautifully, she has also been great company for him with lively conversation, kindness and humour.”
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.