CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Pilton House Trust
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that the home was preventing and controlling infections. This included visitor controls, testing, PPE, cleaning, ventilation, social distancing and plans for managing outbreaks.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, March 2021
Pilton House Trust was inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 18 February 2021. It looked at infection prevention and control in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, rather than the full range of care provided.
Inspectors were assured that the home used PPE safely, carried out testing, managed visitors and admissions safely, and had plans for preventing and managing outbreaks. They also found the home clean, hygienic and well ventilated.
People were supported to keep in touch with relatives through garden visits, exceptional visits inside the home, video calls, phone calls and email updates. The home was preparing an externally accessible room for visits using a full screen.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the report gives findings about infection control, but it does not give an overall quality rating or ratings for the other care areas.
Visitor safety
Visitors had to book in advance and follow checks and PPE procedures before entering the main building.
“Visitors were asked to don/doff their PPE, sanitise hands, and carry out a temperature check in the lobby before entering the main building.” from the report
Testing and outbreak planning
People and staff were regularly tested, with arrangements to isolate anyone showing symptoms or testing positive.
“People and staff have been regularly tested to ensure they have not contracted Covid-19.” from the report
Clean and hygienic home
The home had detailed cleaning schedules, frequent cleaning of high-touch areas and regular deep cleaning.
“The home was clean and hygienic. Detailed cleaning schedules were in place for all areas of the home.” from the report
Keeping families in touch
The home used garden visits, technology, phone calls and email updates to help people stay connected with relatives and friends.
“The service had also used technology to allow people to stay in touch with friends and family via video links, phone calls and regular email updates.” from the report
Staff support and activities
The report describes activities suited to individual interests and extra support for staff, including time off and counselling.
“People had coped well during the pandemic due to a positive staff group and a good range of activities to suit individual interests.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What are the current arrangements for visits, and is the externally accessed visiting room now in use?
- 02How are people and staff currently tested, and what happens if someone has symptoms or tests positive?
- 03How much PPE is kept at the home, and how do you check that staff use it correctly?
- 04How do you keep relatives updated if visits are restricted?
- 05How are activities matched to each person's interests, including at weekends?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the COVID-19 pandemic; it did not rate the overall service or the other four care questions. This explanation was written from the published report of 17 March 2021 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 2018
Pilton House was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with limited pictorial signage as a minor concern.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 5 December 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and a visiting health professional. They observed care, reviewed care plans and other records, attended a staff handover and looked around the building.
The home was rated Good overall and was also rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found a calm and friendly atmosphere, caring staff, suitable staffing levels, safe medicines arrangements and regular care plan reviews.
The home remained Good since the previous inspection in September 2015. One minor issue was that there was limited pictorial signage to help some people recognise bedrooms, toilets and shower rooms. The manager had discussed this with people and offered signage where requested.
Kind, respectful care
Inspectors saw staff taking time to listen, speak with people and provide care discreetly. People and relatives gave many positive comments about staff.
“We observed that staff interacted with people in a caring and compassionate manner.” from the report
Personalised care planning
Care plans included people's needs, wishes, routines and life histories. They were reviewed regularly and when people's needs changed.
“Care plans were well organised and contained personalised information about the individual person's needs and wishes.” from the report
Safe medicines
Staff were trained and assessed as competent to administer medicines. Records, storage and audits were described as suitable.
“People were given their medicines at the correct times.” from the report
Good staffing and training
Inspectors found enough staff on duty and saw people receiving help promptly. Staff received induction, training, supervision and appraisals.
“Staffing arrangements met people's needs in a safe way.” from the report
Approachable management
The management structure was clear, and people, relatives and staff said managers were open and available. There were regular meetings and quality checks.
“People and relatives all described the management of the home as open and approachable.” from the report
Limited pictorial signage
minorSome people living with dementia needed extra help to recognise parts of the building. There was limited pictorial signage for bedrooms, toilets and shower rooms, although signage was offered when people requested it.
“There was limited pictorial signage to clearly identify specific rooms such as toilets and shower rooms and people's own rooms.” from the report
- 01How will you identify and support a person who needs help recognising their bedroom, toilet or shower room?
- 02How do you check that staffing levels remain sufficient when people's needs change or there are staff absences?
- 03How will my relative and our family be involved in creating and reviewing their care plan?
- 04How do you record and respond to changes in a person's health or wellbeing?
- 05How can we raise a concern or complaint, and how will you tell us what action was taken?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions, the premises and the care provided. This explanation was written from the published report of 13 February 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 Pilton House Trust
2 rated inspections over 2 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- March 2021Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 12 January 2015.
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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17 live-in carers within about an hour of Devon
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 £1,020 to £1,270 a week. 15 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
“She is such a warm and gentle person while being professional and competent at the same time.”
“She looked after my mum, who can be incredibly challenging, so well and so gently, and we always felt confident that my mum was getting the best care available.”
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.