CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Nightingale
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, April 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care and strong leadership, but risk information was not always shared clearly.
This was an unannounced focused inspection on 25 March 2019. Inspectors looked mainly at whether people were safe and whether the home was well-led. They spoke with people, visitors, the manager and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicines, safeguarding and management records.
The home was rated Good for Safe and Well-led. People said they felt safe and staff were kind. Staff had suitable training, medicines were managed safely, staffing was enough, and the home was clean.
The main weakness was communication about risks. Information was not always shared quickly or clearly between staff and with families. The inspection followed allegations about abusive practice, but the circumstances of those incidents were being investigated separately and were not examined in this inspection.
The overall rating stayed Good, as it had been at the previous focused inspection published in November 2017. CQC said it would continue to monitor information about the home.
People felt safe
People who communicated with words told inspectors they felt safe and relaxed. They said staff were kind when people became upset or angry.
“People told us they felt safe with comments such as, "I feel safe, it is fun here.” from the report
Trained and suitable staff
Staff knew how to recognise and report abuse. Recruitment checks were completed, and staff had training to support people safely during distress or agitation.
“Staff had received safeguarding training and knew how to recognise signs of abuse.” from the report
Safe medicines systems
Inspectors found medicines were obtained, stored, recorded, given and disposed of safely. Records contained the information needed for safe administration.
“Medicines were safely obtained, stored, recorded, administered and disposed of.” from the report
Strong management checks
The home used audits, incident reviews, surveys and meetings to monitor care and make improvements. The manager and staff shared a clear vision for the service.
“The service was consistently managed and well-led.” from the report
Risk information was not always shared clearly
needs fixingSome families had been told that staff did not know about, or were not following, new risk-management strategies. The inspectors recommended improving communication within the team and with families.
“Communication between staff about risk management was not always effective.” from the report
- 01How will you make sure every staff member knows about a person's latest risk-management strategies?
- 02How will you tell families clearly what triggered an incident or a person's agitation?
- 03What changes did you make after this inspection to improve communication about risks?
- 04How are accidents, incidents and physical interventions reviewed, and how are the lessons shared with staff?
- 05How can people and relatives raise concerns if they are unhappy with the care or staff practice?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe and Well-led; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not assessed in this visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 April 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, November 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with medicine stock checks tightened after one person ran out of medicine.
This was a comprehensive inspection on 1 and 7 September 2017. The first day was unannounced. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, staff, managers and an advocate. They also reviewed care records, medicine records, recruitment files, complaints and quality checks.
Inspectors found that people were treated as individuals by staff who understood their needs. Risks, medicines, staffing, training and the building were managed safely. People were supported with their health, food choices, communication, activities and links with family and the wider community.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the first inspection since the home was re-registered after a change of ownership in October 2016.
Personalised care
Staff knew people well and understood their individual needs, preferences and ways of communicating.
“People were treated as individuals, receiving person-centred care and support from staff who knew them and had a good understanding of them as people.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People appeared settled and comfortable with staff. Staff responded calmly when people were distressed and respected their privacy.
“People were treated with kindness and compassion in their day-to-day care.” from the report
Good leadership and oversight
Staff felt able to raise concerns and contribute ideas. Managers and the provider carried out regular checks and acted when they found shortfalls.
“Quality assurance and governance systems were in place to monitor the quality of service being delivered and the running of the home.” from the report
Medicine supply incident
needs fixingOne person ran out of a medicine. The home tightened its procedures so stock levels were checked more often and replacements ordered promptly.
“Following an incident where someone ran out of one of their medicines, procedures had been tightened to ensure stock levels were regularly checked and sufficient replacements ordered promptly.” from the report
Some complaints still open
minorMost recorded complaints had been investigated thoroughly, but some investigations were still ongoing when inspectors visited.
“Other investigations were ongoing and the outcomes yet to be determined, although interim action had already been taken to address the concerns.” from the report
- 01How do you check medicine stock levels and make sure replacements are ordered before anyone runs out?
- 02How would you support my relative's particular communication needs and behaviours that challenge?
- 03How do you decide when physical intervention is needed, and how do you review whether it was the least restrictive option?
- 04How are families involved in best interests decisions and reviews of care plans?
- 05What is the current outcome of any complaints that were still being investigated at the time of the inspection?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, and the first inspection since the home was re-registered after a change of ownership in October 2016. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 November 2017 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 Nightingale
2 rated inspections over a year: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- April 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2017GoodSafe: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 October 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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37 live-in carers within about an hour of Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole
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 £1,000 to £1,340 a week. 26 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“We could not have managed without her calm, reassuring presence and practical knowledge and skill in caring and supporting both my husband and the family and I.”
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
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.