CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Peterlee Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, November 2022
Peterlee Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with a new manager applying for registration.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 15 August 2022. An inspector and an Expert by Experience spoke with staff and relatives, observed care and checked care, medicine, recruitment and management records.
Inspectors found people were safe and supported by enough suitably trained staff. Medicines, infection control and risks were managed safely. Care plans reflected people's needs and choices, and people were treated with kindness, dignity and respect.
The home received a Good rating in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This was the same overall rating and the same rating in each area as the previous inspection, published in February 2018.
Safe staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Recruitment checks, training and supervision were in place.
“Staff were safely recruited and received an induction followed by on-going training from the provider.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans recorded people's individual needs, choices, routines and interests. People and relatives were involved in care planning.
“People and relatives were involved in every stage of care planning.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives were positive about staff. Inspectors found that privacy, dignity, independence and equality were respected.
“People confirmed staff provided kind and compassionate care.” from the report
Good oversight
The provider used audits, feedback and electronic systems to check care quality and identify improvements.
“The service had a quality assurance system which was used to identify positive practice as well as areas for improvement.” from the report
Manager registration
minorThere was no registered manager in post when inspectors visited. A new manager had started and was going through the application process.
“At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.” from the report
- 01What is the current progress of the manager's application for registration?
- 02How are staffing levels reviewed when people's needs change or the home is busy?
- 03How will you make sure my relative's care plan stays up to date and reflects their choices and communication needs?
- 04How are medicines checked, and how will you tell us if there is a medicines error?
- 05What end of life support could you provide if my relative needed it?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control, the premises and the care provided; no one was receiving end of life care at the time. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 November 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.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found safe infection control and enough staff, but some families were unclear about visiting arrangements.
This was a targeted inspection on 27 January 2022. It looked mainly at infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic, and at staffing pressures. The visit was announced 24 hours beforehand.
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Staff used personal protective equipment correctly, had infection control training and access to regular COVID-19 testing. The home was clean, tidy and free from unpleasant smells.
Visitors were supported to enter safely, and essential care givers could visit relatives who were not affected by COVID-19. However, some family members were unclear about the visiting arrangements. The manager agreed to improve communication.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or a rated judgement for safety.
Staffing
The provider said recruitment had helped ensure there were enough staff to cover absences. Inspectors found people's requests were answered promptly.
“There were enough staff to meet people's needs. People's requests for support were responded to in a timely manner.” from the report
Infection control
Staff wore appropriate protective equipment and had infection prevention and control training. The home had checks to support correct use of this equipment.
“Staff were observed to be wearing appropriate PPE at all times and had received training in infection prevention and control.” from the report
Clean environment
The home was clean and tidy, with cleaning schedules that included frequently touched surfaces.
“The home was clean, tidy and odour free. Cleaning schedules were in place to include the additional cleaning of frequent touch points within the home.” from the report
Safe visiting support
Visitors were supported to access the home safely under government guidance. Essential care givers had been supported to visit relatives not affected by COVID-19 during the outbreak.
“In line with government guidance visitors were supported to access the home safely.” from the report
Visiting information
minorSome family members did not understand the visiting arrangements. The manager agreed to improve communication about visiting.
“Some family members we spoke with were unclear about visiting arrangements.” from the report
- 01What are the current visiting arrangements, and how will you tell families if they change?
- 02How do you maintain staffing levels when staff are absent?
- 03How do you check that staff continue to use personal protective equipment correctly?
- 04What testing is currently available for residents and staff?
- 05What happens to visiting if there is a COVID-19 outbreak in the home?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, staffing pressures and visiting arrangements; it did not provide an overall rating or rated judgements for the other key questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 February 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 Peterlee Care Home
4 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- November 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2016Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- July 2015Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 May 2014.
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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47 live-in carers within about an hour of County Durham
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 £960 to £1,210 a week. 42 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.