CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Princess Lodge Care Centre
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
What inspectors found, June 2022
Princess Lodge Care Centre rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with staffing continuity worth checking.
Inspectors visited unannounced on 4 and 13 May 2022. They spoke with people, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care records, medicines records, recruitment files, complaints, incidents and quality checks.
The home was rated Good overall, with Good ratings for Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were safe, medicines were managed properly, staff were trained, and care was based on people's needs and preferences.
People and relatives described staff as caring and respectful. Inspectors also found good support with food, activities, healthcare, communication, independence and end of life care.
This was the first inspection of the newly registered service. The report says the previous provider's rating was Good, published on 11 December 2020. A new manager had been in post for four months and was still registering with CQC.
Safe care and medicines
Inspectors found that staff understood safeguarding, risks were managed, and medicines were stored, given and recorded safely.
“People received their medicines as prescribed and the service had safe medicine storage systems in place.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
People and relatives spoke positively about staff's patience, kindness and respect. Inspectors also observed polite and dignified interactions.
“We observed staff talking to people in a polite and respectful manner.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans reflected people's individual needs, routines, preferences and communication styles. Staff knew people well and updated plans as needs changed.
“People received personalised care and support specific to their needs, preferences and routines.” from the report
Good leadership and improvement
The new manager was described as approachable and committed to improvement. The home used audits, surveys and incident reviews to make changes.
“There was significant emphasis on continuously improving the service.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People could join group or individual activities, spend time outdoors and keep in touch with relatives. Staff respected people's choice not to join activities.
“People had access to a variety of activities which included individual and group activities” from the report
Staffing during absences
minorThe report says there were enough staff during the inspection, but the home was using agency staff and recruitment was ongoing. One relative said staffing could be short when staff were on leave or off sick.
“I think there are enough staff when all staff are present, but they can be short staffed when people are either on leave or, as during Covid, people are off sick.” from the report
- 01How many permanent staff are currently working at the home, and how often are agency staff used?
- 02What happens to staffing levels when people are on leave or off sick?
- 03What progress has been made with the new manager's registration with CQC?
- 04How are each person's dental appointments, oral health needs and access to dentists recorded and followed up?
- 05How are families involved when care plans or people's needs change?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, with an additional thematic probe about oral health and access to dentists. This explanation was written from the published report of 1 June 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, December 2020
Princess Lodge Care Centre was inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection control arrangements, with some separation plans still being put in place.
This was an announced, targeted inspection of infection prevention and control during the coronavirus pandemic. Inspectors checked whether the home was ready to care safely for people discharged from hospital with a positive Covid-19 status.
Inspectors found good arrangements for visitor screening, separate areas, social distancing, personal protective equipment, staff training, testing and enhanced cleaning. They said they were assured that the home was following good infection prevention and control guidelines.
Some signage and laundry arrangements for the Covid-19 area were still being put in place. No people had yet been admitted to that designated area when it was inspected.
The home was inspected but not rated. This means the report does not give a formal overall rating or a rated score for Safe, and it does not assess the wider quality of care.
Visitor safety
Visitors were screened for symptoms before entering. Visiting was restricted where necessary, with arrangements for essential visits such as end-of-life care.
“There was a robust visiting policy with arrangements in place to help ensure the safety of visitors.” from the report
Separate Covid-19 area
The designated area was physically separate and had its own entrance. It was spacious enough to support two-metre distancing.
“The area of the service which had been designated for COVID-19 positive people was physically separate from the rest of the service, with its own external entrance.” from the report
PPE arrangements
There were designated places for staff to put on and change PPE, clinical waste bins and shower facilities. Staff had been trained and supplies were available.
“Arrangements are in place to support staff to use personal protective equipment (PPE) safely.” from the report
Testing and cleaning
Staff were due to receive weekly Covid-19 tests. Enhanced cleaning included regular cleaning of touch points such as handrails and door handles.
“Staff will be tested weekly for Covid-19.” from the report
Infection control oversight
The home had an infection prevention and control policy, risk assessments and regular infection control audits.
“Infection control auditing was regularly carried by the registered manager and the providers infection control lead.” from the report
Some arrangements were unfinished
minorAt the time of inspection, signage to separate areas and plans to keep Covid-19 laundry separate were still being put in place. Ask whether these arrangements were completed before the area was used.
“The provider was putting in place appropriate signage to mark out separate areas of the COVID-19 positive area” from the report
- 01Has the signage separating the Covid-19 areas now been completed?
- 02How is laundry from the Covid-19 area kept separate from other laundry?
- 03Has the designated Covid-19 area been used, and what did the home learn from using it?
- 04How often are staff tested now, and what happens if a staff member has symptoms or a positive test?
- 05What are the home's current arrangements for visits, including essential and end-of-life visits?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control only; the home was inspected but not rated and the other areas of care were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 December 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 Princess Lodge Care Centre
5 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- June 2022Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- March 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2015Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvement
- January 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 January 2020.
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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44 live-in carers within about an hour of Swindon
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 £990 to £1,280 a week. 34 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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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.