CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Princess Louise Kensington Nursing Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found robust safeguarding, risk assessment, medicines and infection control systems. They noted mixed views about weekend staffing and recommended more robust efforts to obtain and record references before staff start work.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs, choices and risks were assessed and reviewed. Staff had relevant training, people were supported with food and healthcare, and the home followed the principles of the Mental Capacity Act.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Care plans included people's histories, interests, choices, communication needs and aspirations.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care was personalised and activities included music, exercise, arts, crafts and religious celebrations. Complaints were recorded and acted on, but people and relatives had mixed views about how comfortable they felt raising concerns.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found open management, regular meetings, staff involvement and partnership working with healthcare and other agencies. The home had systems for checking quality and learning from incidents and complaints.
What inspectors found, August 2023
Princess Louise Kensington Nursing Home is Rated Good; inspectors found kind, personalised care, with some improvements still needed.
Inspectors visited the home without warning on 20 June 2023. They spoke with people, relatives, staff and health professionals. They observed care and activities, and checked care plans, medicines, recruitment, complaints, accidents and management records.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were treated with kindness and dignity. Staff knew people's needs, supported their choices and provided activities, food and healthcare suited to them.
There were some issues to improve. Two recruitment files did not initially contain full reference information. The lift was faulty during the visit but was fixed quickly. Inspectors also asked the home to improve dementia-friendly signs and seek consent about CCTV covering the garden.
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw staff treating people as equals and supporting them gently. People and relatives said care was caring and dignified.
“We observed care workers speaking to people in a manner which was as an equal.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans covered people's needs, communication, interests, life history and goals. Staff supported people to make choices and express themselves.
“Care plans were person-centred and included information about support needs and aspirations.” from the report
Safe medicines practice
Inspectors observed nurses checking medicine amounts before and after administration. Staff asked for consent before giving prescribed medicines.
“People were supported by staff who followed systems and processes to prescribe, administer, record and store medicines safely.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People could join activities such as singing, music, exercise and arts and crafts. Relatives and volunteers were involved, helping people stay socially connected.
“We witnessed people enjoying a sing-along session in the afternoon.” from the report
Open management
The manager held regular meetings and gave people, relatives and staff opportunities to raise concerns or suggest improvements.
“The registered manager had an open-door principle, where people were able to contact and voice concerns or ideas wherever possible.” from the report
Weekend staffing views
needs fixingOne relative said staffing levels were low at weekends. The manager said the same number of staff worked at weekends as during the week, and inspectors saw staffing that matched people's needs during their visit.
“One relative said, "The staffing levels are low at the weekends.” from the report
Dementia-friendly environment
minorInspectors found a lack of dementia-friendly decoration and signs. The manager arranged for pictures and brighter signage to be added.
“We noted that there was a lack of dementia friendly aesthetic in the home and discussed this with the registered manager.” from the report
CCTV consent
needs fixingThe home had CCTV covering the front, back and garden, but inspectors found that consent for this garden coverage had not been clearly obtained. They recommended seeking consent from people.
“We recommend as the garden is part of the home and classed as a private space, we recommend that consent is sought from people about CCTV coverage.” from the report
Raising complaints
needs fixingRelatives had different views about how easy it was to raise complaints. One relative did not feel comfortable making a complaint, although other relatives said concerns were welcomed and records showed action had been taken.
“I don't feel comfortable about making complaints if there are other things going on.” from the report
- 01What has been done to make the home more dementia-friendly, including the promised pictures and brighter signs?
- 02How do you make sure staffing is sufficient at weekends, and how do you monitor relatives' concerns about staffing?
- 03Have full references now been obtained and recorded for every care worker before they start work?
- 04How do you obtain and record people's consent for CCTV covering the garden?
- 05How can residents and relatives raise complaints privately, and how will they be kept informed about the outcome?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions; the previous inspection was not rated, although its overall findings were Requires Improvement. This explanation was written from the published report of 15 August 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, March 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors were assured about infection control and the home’s response to COVID-19 staffing pressures.
This was a targeted, announced inspection on 16 February 2022. It focused on infection prevention and control during a COVID-19 outbreak, and on staffing pressures.
Inspectors were assured that the home was using protective equipment safely, providing testing, managing admissions and visits, and keeping its infection control policy up to date. A visiting pod was available, and visits continued in line with guidance.
The home had infection control training and supervision, a member of staff responsible for COVID-19 testing, and a reserve of bank staff to help cover shortages. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not provide an overall quality rating.
Infection control training
Staff received infection control training and supervision. They observed handwashing and discussed good practice at team meetings.
“Staff received training and supervision of infection control practice, including observations of handwashing and were encouraged to discuss best practice at team meetings.” from the report
COVID-19 testing
The home had a full-time staff member responsible for COVID-19 testing.
“A full time member of staff had been recruited to carry out testing for COVID-19.” from the report
Staffing cover
The home had bank staff available to help respond to high levels of staff absence during a recent outbreak.
“The provider had a large reserve of bank staff which meant they were able to respond to high numbers of staff shortages caused by a recent outbreak.” from the report
Visiting arrangements
Visits were allowed in line with guidance. A visiting pod and alternative ways to keep in touch were available.
“A visiting pod was in place to enable safer visits.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you currently covering staff shortages, and is a reserve of bank staff still available?
- 02How often do staff receive infection control training and supervision now?
- 03Who is responsible for COVID-19 or other infection testing at the home today?
- 04What visiting arrangements are currently in place if there is an infection outbreak?
- 05How do you keep the infection prevention and control policy up to date?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control and staffing pressures; the service was inspected but not rated and the other CQC questions were not assessed. This explanation was written from the published report of 9 March 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 Princess Louise Kensington Nursing Home
4 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- August 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Princess Louise Kensington Nursing Home →
- March 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Princess Louise Kensington Nursing Home →
- March 2021Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- March 2018Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- August 2015
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 24 August 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.
Weigh the report against the rest
Fees, photos and reviews from families
How to read CQC ratings and reports
What to check when you visit
At least 100 live-in carers within about an hour of Kensington and Chelsea
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 £980 to £1,270 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“The quality of life that she's given my parents has been priceless. The peace of mind she's given my sisters and I, through a very difficult time, has been invaluable.”
“The interaction she gives my mother is incredible, singing, dancing, taking her to groups, on plenty of walks which mum always loves.”
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.