CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at OSJCT Larkrise Care Centre
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs, safe recruitment and medicines procedures, suitable risk assessments and good infection control. Staff knew how to report safeguarding concerns.
- Effective?
- Good
- People were supported with food, healthcare and choices about their care. Staff had induction and training, and care was coordinated with other services.
- Caring?
- Good
- People said staff were caring and inspectors observed polite and respectful interactions. People were involved in care decisions and supported to maintain their privacy and independence.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's routines, preferences and communication needs. The home offered individual and group activities, although some people wanted more shopping trips.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had a clear management structure, better staff morale and effective quality checks. Staff, people and relatives said management was supportive and approachable.
What inspectors found, September 2019
OSJCT Larkrise Care Centre was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with improvements since the previous inspection.
This was an unannounced inspection on 28 August 2019. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff. They reviewed care plans, medicines records, recruitment files and management records, and observed care.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines procedures, clean areas and suitable risk assessments. People were supported with food, healthcare, choices, privacy and activities.
The home had previously been rated Requires Improvement, with a breach about staffing. Inspectors found that improvements had been made and the home was no longer in breach of regulations.
Improved staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs and noted that the home had recruited new staff and hardly used agency staff.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Respectful care
People described staff as caring. Inspectors saw staff speaking politely and respectfully, while supporting privacy, dignity and independence.
“We observed staff talking to people in a polite and respectful manner.” from the report
Personalised activities
The home linked activities to people's interests and offered individual and group activities. Inspectors saw examples of support that matched personal interests.
“The service supported people to follow their interests.” from the report
Strong management checks
The management team used audits and reflective meetings to monitor care and make improvements. Staff said they felt listened to and valued.
“The provider had effective quality assurance systems in place.” from the report
More trips requested
minorSome people enjoyed the activities but said they wanted more trips out for shopping. The report says plans were already in place to increase trips out.
“If only we could be taken out to do some shopping.” from the report
- 01How are staffing levels maintained when staff are off sick?
- 02What trips out, including shopping trips, are currently available?
- 03How are people's personal routines, food choices and communication needs recorded and shared with staff?
- 04How are medicines records checked for accuracy?
- 05What quality checks are used to make sure the improvements found at this inspection have continued?
This was an unannounced planned inspection that assessed all five CQC questions; no one was receiving end-of-life care during the visit. This explanation was written from the published report of 20 September 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, September 2018
OSJCT Larkrise Care Centre was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind and responsive care but not enough staff and weaknesses in meal service and management checks.
Inspectors visited the home without warning on 26 June 2018. They spoke with people living there, relatives, staff and health professionals. They reviewed care records, medicine records, staff files, complaints and quality checks.
The main problem was staffing. There were not enough staff to meet people's needs, and staff were often very busy. During one lunchtime, people on the ground floor waited for their food and two people waited 45 minutes for their first course.
Inspectors found strengths as well. Risks were assessed, medicines were given safely, and staff understood people's care needs. People were generally treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Activities, complaints handling and end-of-life support were rated Good.
The overall rating fell from Good to Requires Improvement. Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led were all Requires Improvement. Responsive was Good.
Risks and medicines
Risks such as falls, pressure sores, eating and drinking were assessed and managed. Medicines were stored, administered and recorded safely.
“Risks to people were assessed and risk management plans were in place to keep people safe.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw warmth and affection in interactions. Staff used people's preferred names, respected privacy and encouraged independence.
“People were treated with dignity and respect and supported to maintain their independence.” from the report
Activities and community links
People could take part in group and one-to-one activities, use the garden and maintain links with local groups.
“People had access to a range of activities which they could be involved with, including group and one to one activities.” from the report
Complaints and end-of-life support
People and relatives knew how to complain, and the eight complaints recorded since the previous inspection had been handled under the home's policy. End-of-life preferences were recorded and relatives could use a dedicated room.
“Complaints were also used to improve care.” from the report
Not enough staff
seriousStaffing levels did not meet people's needs. Staff were often continuously busy, and some people and relatives felt less safe when the home was short staffed.
“There were not enough staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Long waits at mealtimes
needs fixingOn the ground floor, staff were not deployed well during lunch. Some people needed prompting to eat, but there were not enough staff to provide it.
“Two people waited for 45 minutes before they received their first meal course.” from the report
Quality checks missed problems
needs fixingDining checks had not identified the ground-floor problems found during the inspection. There were also no audits checking staffing levels or people's experiences and views.
“There were no audits to review staffing levels and people's views.” from the report
Food choices
minorPeople's views about the food varied. Some people felt the menu was repetitive and wanted more choice.
“The food is not up to scratch. We get the same menu each week and can get sick of the same things” from the report
- 01How many staff are currently working on each wing, and how do you cover sickness, vacancies and busy morning periods?
- 02What changes have been made to staffing and staff deployment since the inspection's Regulation 18 breach?
- 03How do you make sure people receive timely support and prompting during meals?
- 04What audits now check staffing levels, dining experiences and people's views?
- 05What is the current food menu, and how are residents' preferences and requests for more variety acted on?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, with the care provided and the home's accommodation both looked at. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 September 2018 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 OSJCT Larkrise Care Centre
4 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- September 2019Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 June 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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