CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Old Vicarage Care Home
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 said they felt safe and there were enough suitably trained staff. However, records did not always show repositioning and continence checks, and some flooring could not be cleaned effectively during refurbishment.
- Effective?
- Requires improvement
- People received appropriate support and had access to healthcare services. However, care plans and risk assessments were not always accurate, staff were still learning the electronic record system, and food choices were being reviewed.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness and compassion. Staff respected people's privacy and dignity, although people's and relatives' involvement in care planning was not always recorded.
- Responsive?
- Requires improvement
- People had activities and received personalised care in practice. However, call bells were not always within reach, care reviews were not consistently documented, and laundry concerns had not been effectively addressed.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- The provider had an improvement plan and had strengthened some audits, including medicines audits. However, the electronic care system was not being used effectively and some issues were not identified or fully resolved promptly.
What inspectors found, June 2022
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind care, but records, laundry concerns and some safety arrangements needed improvement.
This was an unannounced inspection on 28 April 2022. One inspector visited the home. An Expert by Experience spoke to relatives by telephone. Inspectors also spoke with people and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicines, recruitment and management records.
People generally felt safe and there were enough suitably trained staff. Medicines were safely managed and infection control arrangements for visitors, PPE, testing and admissions were in place. However, some flooring could not be cleaned properly while refurbishment was underway, and records did not always show repositioning and continence checks.
Inspectors saw kind and respectful care. People had activities and families were kept in contact during the pandemic. However, care records were incomplete during the move to a new electronic system, care plan involvement was not consistently recorded, food choices were being reviewed, and laundry complaints had not been effectively resolved.
The overall rating and four of the five areas were Requires Improvement. Caring was rated Good. This means inspectors found some important improvements were needed, and there was limited assurance that care was consistently safe, effective, responsive and well-led.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff communicating with people in a friendly and kind way. People's privacy and dignity were maintained during personal care.
“People were treated with kindness and compassion by the care staff.” from the report
Enough trained staff
There were enough staff to meet the assessed care needs of the people living in the home. Recruitment checks were routinely carried out.
“People were supported by enough staff to meet their assessed care needs.” from the report
Medicines management
Medicines were safely managed. The provider had introduced more detailed audits and a new medicines competency assessment.
“The provider had introduced a new medicines administration competency assessment and increased the frequency and detail of medicines audits.” from the report
Activities and family contact
People could choose whether to join activities, and relatives reported that the range of activities had improved. Contact with families was maintained during the pandemic as far as possible.
“There was a range of activities provided by the service.” from the report
Incomplete safety records
needs fixingRecords did not always show how often people were repositioned or checked for continence needs. Inspectors found no evidence that anyone had been harmed, but accurate records were needed to show that these checks were taking place.
“However, the provider's care records did not always show the frequency with which people had been regularly repositioned by staff.” from the report
Care records still being transferred
needs fixingCare plans and risk assessments did not always contain accurate current information. The electronic system was not fully implemented or used effectively, so records did not always evidence the care people received.
“The provider's electronic care management system was not being used effectively.” from the report
Laundry concerns
needs fixingRelatives reported clothes going missing and said the laundry arrangements had not improved. The provider knew about the issue, but the action taken had not worked and the concerns were not recorded in the complaints log.
“However, we saw the action had not been effective.” from the report
Refurbishment and infection control
needs fixingSome areas needed refurbishment and damaged or missing floor sealant meant parts of the flooring could not be cleaned effectively. Some maintenance issues had also not been resolved.
“We found areas of the care home flooring were not able to be effectively cleaned due to damage or missing sealant.” from the report
Food choices
minorPeople gave mixed views about the meals, and some staff said there should be a wider range of options. The catering team was reviewing the menus.
“Some staff told us the menu options needed to be expanded.” from the report
- 01How are repositioning and continence checks now recorded, and how do you check that the records are complete?
- 02Has the electronic care record system been fully implemented, and how do you make sure staff use it correctly?
- 03What changes have been made to stop clothes going missing in the laundry, and how are laundry complaints now logged and followed up?
- 04Which refurbishment and flooring repairs have been completed since the inspection?
- 05How have the menus changed to reflect residents' preferences and provide a wider choice?
This was the first comprehensive inspection since the new provider registered the home, and inspectors assessed all five key questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 June 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 Old Vicarage Care Home
4 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- June 2022Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- September 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 9 December 2020.
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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