CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Poplars Nursing and Residential Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, January 2023
Rated Good overall; inspectors found safe, kind and responsive care, but the home needed to improve its leadership and quality checks.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 10 January 2023. Inspectors spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, training, recruitment, complaints and quality checks.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Responsive. Inspectors found enough staff, suitable training, clean surroundings, safe care planning and access to healthcare. They also found kind staff who respected people's choices, privacy and independence.
The Well-led rating remained Requires Improvement. Quality checks had not always found or fixed problems. Records for some topical medicines were still incomplete, and some relatives said they were not kept well informed about healthcare concerns and appointments.
Staffing
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs safely. Staffing had improved since the previous inspection, with more consistent care.
“There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Staff knew people well and supported their choices, dignity, privacy and independence. Inspectors found improvements since the previous inspection in how people were treated at mealtimes.
“People were supported by staff who understood how to promote their independence.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans recorded people's preferences, communication needs, diets and wishes. People were offered activities inside and outside the home.
“People's care plans were personalised and reflected their choices and preferences.” from the report
Healthcare and nutrition
People received food and drink suited to their needs, with referrals to specialists when required. They could access a range of health professionals.
“People had access to a range of health professionals where they needed them.” from the report
Quality checks
needs fixingThe home's quality assurance systems did not always find or resolve problems. Some actions had remained outstanding for several months.
“Quality assurance tools had not identified or addressed areas of improvement we found at this inspection.” from the report
Topical medicine records
needs fixingRecords did not always show that people received prescribed topical medicines as required. This issue had already been identified by the home but continued at the inspection.
“People prescribed topical medicines did not always have records to reflect they received these as required.” from the report
Communication with relatives
needs fixingSome relatives said staff did not always keep them updated about healthcare concerns and appointments. The manager said future communications would be recorded more clearly.
“Other relatives told us staff did not always share updates with them in relation to concerns about people's healthcare and appointments.” from the report
- 01How do you now check that topical medicines have been given and recorded correctly?
- 02How will you make sure relatives are told about healthcare concerns and appointments, and that these conversations are recorded?
- 03Which actions from the quality improvement plan are still outstanding, and when will each be completed?
- 04What specific guidance is available for people with epilepsy or other needs that inspectors found were not fully covered?
- 05How do you involve relatives in care plan reviews and explain how their views are used?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; the report says Safe, Effective, Caring and Responsive improved from Requires Improvement to Good, while Well-led remained Requires Improvement. This explanation was written from the published report of 28 January 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.
What inspectors found, January 2020
Poplars Nursing and Residential Care Home was rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found progress since an Inadequate rating, but care was still inconsistent.
Inspectors made an unannounced visit on 28 November 2019. They spoke with people using the home, relatives and staff. They observed care and reviewed care plans, medicines records, staff records and management records.
The home had improved from its previous Inadequate rating. Staffing levels, risk management, medicines, care planning and quality checks had improved. People generally felt safe, and staff were described as kind and caring.
There were still important weaknesses. Staff did not always follow infection control procedures. People were not always supported properly with food and drink, dignity was not always respected, and care did not always follow people's preferences. All five areas were rated Requires Improvement.
The home had previously been in Special Measures. It was no longer rated Inadequate and was no longer in Special Measures because improvements had been made. The provider was no longer in breach of the regulations identified at the last inspection, but the improvements needed to become consistent.
Improved staffing
Staffing levels had improved since the previous inspection. Having a staff member on the dementia unit at all times had reduced incidents and unwitnessed falls.
“We observed sufficient staff to meet people's needs safely and saw there was now one staff member located on the dementia unit at all times” from the report
Safe medicines and risk management
People's risks were assessed and reviewed. Medicines were stored and given safely, with clear guidance for medicines given when needed.
“People's medicines were stored and administered safely. Fridge and room temperatures where medicines were kept were checked on a daily basis” from the report
Kind staff
Inspectors saw positive relationships between people and staff. People were supported to express their views and make choices.
“People were supported by kind and caring staff who had built a rapport with them.” from the report
Personalised care plans
Care plans reflected people's choices and preferences. Improvements included regular repositioning and timely responses to call bells.
“People's care plans were personalised and reflected their choices and preferences.” from the report
Improved quality checks
Daily audits checked whether care was being delivered as planned. Issues found through audits were discussed with staff and addressed.
“Effective audit systems were in place to check the quality of the service.” from the report
Food and mealtime support
needs fixingPeople were not always offered food choices in a way they understood. At least one person did not receive timely help with eating, which led to food being spilt.
“However, people were not always provided with the support they needed at meal times in a timely manner.” from the report
Care did not always follow preferences
needs fixingSome people said staff did not always respond to requests from people living with dementia. Bathing was also not always provided as often as people wanted.
“However, people told us staff did not always deliver care in line with all people's preferences.” from the report
Dignity and language
needs fixingPeople's dignity was not always protected at mealtimes. Inspectors also found language in a dining room audit that did not respect people.
“Staff did not always use language that respected people's dignity.” from the report
Infection control
needs fixingSome staff did not wear aprons when serving food, despite the home's procedures and previous discussions with staff.
“We observed some staff members not wearing aprons when serving food at meal times which may have increased the risk of cross infection.” from the report
Leadership consistency
needs fixingThe new manager had made improvements, but the positive culture was not yet consistent. Staff did not always follow procedures when the manager was absent.
“Staff do not always do what they should when the manager isn't there.” from the report
Registered manager
minorThere was no manager registered with the CQC at the time of the inspection. The manager had been in post for less than two months and intended to register.
“There was not a registered manager in post at the time of inspection.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure people receive the help they need to eat and drink at every meal?
- 02How do you record and respond to each person's preferences about bathing and personal care?
- 03What action has been taken to ensure staff use respectful language and protect people's dignity at mealtimes?
- 04How do you check that all staff follow infection control procedures, including wearing aprons when serving food?
- 05Has the manager registered with the CQC, and how do you ensure procedures are followed when the manager is not present?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, with the care provided and the premises both examined; the visit followed an earlier Inadequate rating and Special Measures period. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 January 2020 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 Poplars Nursing and Residential Care Home
7 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- January 2023Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
Read what inspectors found at Poplars Nursing and Residential Care Home →
- January 2020Requires improvementup from InadequateSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
Read what inspectors found at Poplars Nursing and Residential Care Home →
- July 2019Inadequatedown from Requires improvementSafe: InadequateEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Inadequate
- October 2018Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- March 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2015Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- September 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 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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