CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Palmerston House Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2019
Palmerston House Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with only minor points about the dining experience and dementia-friendly signs.
This was an unannounced inspection on 15 and 18 January 2019. Two inspectors spoke with nine people, one relative, the manager and three staff. They observed care, looked around the home and checked care plans, medicines records, staff files and training records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were protected from abuse, received their medicines correctly, had personalised care and were treated with kindness and respect.
The home provided care for 21 people and could accommodate 22. Inspectors found that people and relatives were involved in decisions, staff knew people well and the management team used audits and feedback to improve the service.
The previous inspection, published on 1 September 2016, also rated the home Good. The report says legal requirements were met.
Safe medicines practice
Staff were trained and assessed to give medicines. Inspectors found medicines were ordered, stored, administered, recorded and disposed of correctly.
“Medicines were correctly ordered, stored, administered, recorded and disposed of.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans recorded people's histories, preferences and communication needs. Staff knew these details and respected people's choices, including when someone preferred to spend time alone.
“Care plans were person centred and tailored to the individual.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives spoke positively about the staff. Inspectors observed patience, encouragement, dignity and support for people's independence.
“People and relatives were complimentary about the care and support received.” from the report
Good community links
The home supported outings, religious visits and links with local groups. Inspectors said this helped people avoid social isolation and maintain a social life.
“This prevented social isolation and supported people to maintain their ties with the community and have a social life and improved their well-being.” from the report
Dementia-friendly signs
minorAlthough there were signs, it was not easy to distinguish between corridors. The manager recognised that contrasting colours and handrails would be more dementia-friendly.
“Although there was signage, it was not easy to tell the difference between corridors.” from the report
Dining experience
minorOn the first inspection day, people ate lunch in their chairs rather than at the dining table. The manager said this would be reviewed, and inspectors saw people using the dining table on the second day.
“On the day of our inspection we observed lunch. People remained in their chairs rather than sitting at the dining table.” from the report
- 01How have you improved the corridor signs to make it easier for people with dementia to find their way around?
- 02Do residents now have a choice about where and how they eat their meals?
- 03How will you assess and record my relative's individual likes, dislikes, communication needs and activities?
- 04How do you involve relatives when care plans and end of life wishes are reviewed?
- 05How do you check that medicines continue to be given and recorded correctly?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions and the overall quality and safety of the home. This explanation was written from the published report of 8 March 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 2016
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with effective management and activities.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 3 and 4 August 2016. One inspector spoke with people living at the home, relatives and staff, and reviewed care files, recruitment records, training records and quality checks.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, suitable recruitment checks, safe medicines arrangements, individual care plans and access to health professionals.
People told inspectors they felt safe and well cared for. Staff knew people's routines and preferences, supported their choices and dignity, and provided varied activities. Complaints were dealt with quickly, and the manager used feedback and audits to monitor the home.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Staffing was adjusted using a dependency tool, with permanent and regular bank staff used for consistency.
“There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff were attentive, unrushed and knew people's preferences and personal histories. People were treated with dignity and respect.
“Staff knew people well including their preferences for care and their personal histories.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's individual needs, interests and preferred routines. They were reviewed when people's needs changed.
“We saw that care plans were very person centred outlining how people preferred to be supported and what staff could do to assist people maintain their independence.” from the report
Activities and social life
The home offered individual and group activities, including walks, arts and crafts, reading, gardening and helping with everyday tasks.
“People enjoyed varied pastimes and the management and staff engaged with people to ensure their lives were enjoyable and meaningful.” from the report
Visible management
The manager was regularly present, knew people and relatives well, and used feedback and quality checks to improve the home.
“The manager had a number of quality monitoring systems in place to continually review and improve the quality of the service provided to people.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you adjust staffing levels when a resident's care needs change?
- 02How often will my relative's care plan be reviewed, and how will you involve us in those reviews?
- 03What individual and group activities are available now, including activities outside the home?
- 04How do you record and follow up referrals to GPs, district nurses and other healthcare professionals?
- 05How are feedback, complaints and quality audits used to make changes?
This was an unannounced inspection of the overall service, covering all five CQC questions; the inspector spoke with ten people, three relatives and four care staff and reviewed selected records. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 September 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 Palmerston House Care Home
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 January 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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