CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Newstead House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and reviewed, staffing levels were based on people's needs, and medicines were managed safely. Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed and staff had appropriate induction and ongoing training. The rating improved from Requires Improvement, although inspectors noted a lack of dementia-friendly signage.
- Caring?
- Good
- People described staff as kind, patient and respectful. Staff supported people's choices, privacy, independence and preferred ways of communicating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans included people's preferences and were updated when needs changed. People had activities, welcomed visitors and received support with end-of-life care.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People and relatives spoke positively about the management, and quality checks were in place. Some staff reported communication problems and frustrations with the new electronic care planning system.
What inspectors found, July 2019
Newstead House was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some communication and signage issues.
This was an unannounced inspection on 16 July 2019. Inspectors observed care, spoke with people, relatives, staff and a health professional, and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. People said they enjoyed living there, felt safe and were treated with kindness and respect. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines processes, personalised care and good access to health professionals.
The Effective rating improved from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection to Good. Inspectors noted better food, suitable staff training and improved care outcomes. They also found a lack of dementia-friendly signs and some staff concerns about management communication and the electronic care planning system.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe and secure. Staff understood risks and followed people's risk assessments and care plans.
“People told us they felt safe and secure living at the home.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff built trusting relationships and supported people with patience, reassurance and respect for their choices.
“Staff had built positive trusting relationships with the people they care for.” from the report
Personalised support
Care records included people's likes, dislikes and preferences. People and relatives were involved in planning and reviewing care.
“Care records contained personalised information, likes, dislikes and preferences, and set out how staff should meet people's needs.” from the report
Improved effectiveness
The Effective rating improved from Requires Improvement to Good. Inspectors found improvements in food, staff training and support from health professionals.
“At this inspection this key question has now improved to Good.” from the report
Dementia-friendly signs
minorThere were not enough dementia-friendly signs to help people find their way around the home.
“However, there was lack of dementia friendly signage around the home to help people find their way around.” from the report
Management communication
minorSome staff felt communication from management was sometimes lacking, particularly around changes such as rotas. Management planned a staff meeting to discuss this.
“Some staff told us they felt there was sometimes a lack of communication from management.” from the report
Electronic care planning system
minorStaff had frustrations with the new electronic care planning system. Management said they were working with the provider to resolve these problems.
“The registered manager told us she had listened and understood staff's frustrations about the new electronic care planning system and was working with the provider to resolve them.” from the report
- 01What dementia-friendly signs are now in place to help people find their way around?
- 02How do you make sure staff are told promptly about changes to rotas and other arrangements?
- 03What problems did staff have with the electronic care planning system, and have they now been resolved?
- 04How will you continue the improvements that led to the Effective rating changing from Requires Improvement to Good?
- 05How are people's medicines, falls risks, pressure care and nutrition monitored?
This was a planned inspection covering all five CQC questions, including both the care provided and the home's premises; all five ratings were assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 25 July 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.
What inspectors found, December 2016
Newstead House was rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind and responsive care, but food quality and nutrition needed improvement.
This was an unannounced inspection on 10 November 2016. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, staff and a health professional. They observed care, reviewed care plans and medicines information, and checked complaints, records and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practice, good safeguarding arrangements and care that respected people's dignity, choices and individual needs. People could access health professionals when needed, and staff understood their care needs.
The Effective rating was Requires Improvement because people were not always happy with the food. Inspectors found that meals did not always provide enough variety or meet people's nutritional needs, especially for people needing soft or pureed food. The other four areas were rated Good.
Enough staff
Inspectors found enough staff to respond to people's needs. Call bells were answered promptly and staff responded quickly when people asked for help.
“There were enough staff on duty to make sure that people got the right support at the right time.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People were treated with dignity and respect. Staff sought permission before providing care and supported people's choices.
“Staff were kind and caring and treated people with dignity and respect.” from the report
Good response to health needs
Staff recognised changes in people's health and involved doctors or other health professionals when needed. Care plans and handovers helped staff understand changing support needs.
“If staff had any concerns about people's health needs other health professionals became involved quickly.” from the report
Open management
People and staff said the manager was approachable and listened to concerns. Regular audits and feedback were used to identify actions for improvement.
“The registered manager monitored the quality of the service by a variety of methods including audits and feedback from people and their families and used the information to make improvements.” from the report
Food quality and variety
needs fixingSome people and relatives complained about the quality and lack of variety of meals. Inspectors saw similar meals at lunch and dinner for people on a soft-food diet, with mashed potato served at both meals.
“People were not always satisfied with the food provided. Food did not always meet people's nutritional requirements.” from the report
Kitchen staff lacked dietary information
needs fixingThe assistant cook could describe preferences but could not say whether there was medical or professional guidance for people's food and drink needs. The manager accepted this was unacceptable and said it needed improvement.
“The assistant cook also told us they wouldn't be aware of such guidance, as their role was to prepare the food.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to improve the quality, taste and variety of meals since this inspection?
- 02How are nutritional and swallowing recommendations passed to kitchen staff before meals are prepared?
- 03What choices are now available for people who need soft or pureed food?
- 04How do you check that meals meet each person's nutritional needs and that complaints about food are acted on?
- 05How are staffing levels and response times monitored when people's needs change?
This was an unannounced inspection of the home's overall quality, covering all five CQC questions and providing ratings for each area. This explanation was written from the published report of 31 December 2016 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 Newstead House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 11 March 2016.
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 £960 to £1,410 a week. 10 can care for a couple. 8 years' experience on average.
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