CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Penerley Lodge Care Centre
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found that risks were assessed and managed, medicines were handled safely, infection controls were in place and there were enough staff. People said staff responded quickly when they needed help.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's health needs were assessed and staff worked with health professionals. Food choice was limited and fluid recording was not fully robust, although the provider had started making changes.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff knew people well and involved them and their relatives in care planning and decisions.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans included people's preferences and communication needs. There were regular activities and cultural events, but opportunities for trips and community involvement were very limited.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found supportive management, regular quality checks and a positive staff culture. Some fire safety work had previously been delayed, but the provider said all outstanding work had been completed.
What inspectors found, July 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind care, but food choice, fluid records and outside activities needed improvement.
Inspectors visited on 30 May and 6 June 2023. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and health professionals. They reviewed care and medicine records, staff files, policies and quality checks. The first day was unannounced.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines systems, suitable risk assessments and kind, person-centred care. People were supported with their health, communication, cultural needs and activities.
The inspection followed concerns about management, the building and food. Inspectors found that food choice was limited and not always appealing. Fluid recording needed strengthening. There were also few trips outside the home, so the provider was given a recommendation to review community activities.
The previous rating, under the former provider, was Requires Improvement. This was the first inspection since the provider changed, and the new service received Good ratings in every area.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's safety needs. People said staff responded promptly when they used the call point.
“There were sufficient staff on duty to meet people's safety needs which was confirmed by staff and people who used the service.” from the report
Medicines
Medicines were stored, given and checked safely. The medicine records inspectors sampled were completed correctly.
“People's medicines were stored, administered, and managed safely.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People received person-centred care from familiar staff. Inspectors saw positive interactions and found that privacy, dignity and individual choices were respected.
“People were well treated and supported and familiar staff that knew them well.” from the report
Positive management
Staff and relatives gave positive feedback about the management and culture. The home held meetings, gathered feedback and used quality checks.
“The provider engaged with people receiving care, their relatives and staff.” from the report
Limited food choice
needs fixingInspectors saw food that was not very appealing and a limited choice. The provider said it was introducing an outsourced catering company with more options.
“However, during the inspection we observed the food being served was not very appealing and the choice on offer was very limited.” from the report
Fluid records
needs fixingInspectors found no fluid targets or checking process for people at risk of dehydration. The provider later introduced fluid targets for people at high risk.
“We could not be assured that the recording process was robust as there were no fluid targets in place and no process for checking people had received sufficient fluids each day.” from the report
Few activities outside the home
minorThere were few trips and excursions outside the home because the service no longer had use of a van. CQC recommended reviewing external activities and community engagement.
“Despite generally good in-house activities we found there was very limited opportunities for trips and excursions outside.” from the report
- 01What food choices are available now, and has the outsourced catering company started providing meals?
- 02How do you set and check fluid targets for people at risk of dehydration?
- 03What trips or community activities are now available since the loss of the home's van?
- 04What changes were made after inspectors raised concerns about the mealtime experience?
- 05Have all fire safety works been completed, and what checks are now in place to prevent delays?
This was the first comprehensive inspection since the change of provider and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 July 2023 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 Penerley Lodge Care Centre
2 rated inspections over a year: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- July 2023Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- September 2022
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 13 September 2022.
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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