CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Ridgeway Care Centre
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- People's risks were assessed and there were enough staff, but some medicines were not in stock and the medicines policy was not always followed. Three staff members started work before two references had been received.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's eating, drinking and healthcare needs were assessed and supported. Staff understood their roles, although only two thirds of the required training had been completed.
- Caring?
- Good
- People said staff were kind and supported their independence. Staff knew people well and respected their privacy, dignity and choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans were up to date and reflected people's needs and preferences. Relatives could visit, and activities included group sessions and one-to-one time.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager and provider used audits and action plans to identify and address improvements. The manager worked with health and social care professionals and kept relatives informed about incidents.
What inspectors found, June 2022
Rated Good overall, but inspectors found medicines management and some staff checks needed improvement.
Inspectors visited unannounced on 19 April 2022. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives and staff. They reviewed care plans, medicines records and quality checks, and observed care.
The home was rated Good overall. Effective, caring, responsive and well-led were all rated Good. People were described as safe, well cared for and supported by kind staff. Care plans reflected people's needs, activities were available and relatives could visit.
Safe was rated Requires Improvement. Some medicines were not available when needed, the medicines policy was not always followed, and three staff members started work before two references had been received. Staff training was also only partly up to date.
The previous overall rating was Requires Improvement in December 2019. The report says improvements had been made and the home was no longer in breach of regulations.
Kind relationships
People and relatives described staff positively. Inspectors saw that staff knew people well and had developed caring relationships.
“It was clear that staff knew people well and had developed kind caring relationships with them.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans were reviewed and contained information about people's needs, preferences and independence.
“Care plans reflected people's needs and had been reviewed on a regular basis to ensure they took account of any changes people needed in their care.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs, and call bells were answered quickly.
“We saw there were enough staff to meet people's needs in a timely fashion and staff responded to call bells quickly.” from the report
Activities and visiting
People could take part in group activities or receive one-to-one time. Relatives were able to visit and be part of daily life.
“There was a good activities program in place to support people to be entertained and enjoy their lives.” from the report
Medicines were not always available
seriousSome people's medicines were not in stock when needed. The home had arranged to discuss delayed deliveries with the community pharmacist.
“Some people's medicines had not been available for them when needed.” from the report
Medicines policy not always followed
seriousSome medicines in bottles had not been dated when opened. Inspectors recommended that the home review its medicines practice, including homely remedies.
“Staff had not always followed the provider's policy in the safe management of medicines.” from the report
Training was not complete
needs fixingRecords showed that only two thirds of the required staff training had been completed. The home had an action plan to complete the outstanding training.
“However, records showed staff had only completed two thirds of the training required.” from the report
References were missing
needs fixingThree staff members had started work before two references had been received for each of them. This meant the manager had not been assured about their previous care-related performance.
“Three members of staff had started work without the manager receiving two references.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure each person's medicines are in stock before they are needed?
- 02How do you check that liquid medicines are dated when opened and that staff follow the medicines policy?
- 03How many staff still have outstanding training, and when will it be completed?
- 04Do all new staff now have the required references before they start work?
- 05What changes have been made following the recommendation about homely remedies?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five key questions, including infection prevention and control; the report also checked whether improvements had been made since the previous inspection. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 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 2019
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found timely improvements in management systems, but this targeted inspection did not assess all areas of care.
This was an unannounced targeted inspection on 7 November 2019. One inspector checked whether the home had acted on a previous warning notice about how it monitored and improved quality. The inspector spoke with four people using the service, staff and managers, and looked at some care plans, risk assessments, medicine records and management audits.
The home had improved its quality monitoring. Managers were checking concerns and recording who would deal with them and when. Inspectors saw improvements in medicines management, environmental issues, care plan information and monitoring of people's nutrition. The home's electronic care records had also been improved so staff could record care in real time.
The overall rating remained Requires Improvement. The well-led question was inspected but not rated because this was a focused inspection. Inspectors said the home was no longer in breach of Regulation 17, but other breaches from the previous inspection would be reviewed later.
Improved monitoring
Managers were using audits and action plans to identify concerns, record who would address them and check that action was taken.
“Enough timely action had been taken and the provider was no longer in breach of Regulation 17 (Good Governance) in this key question.” from the report
Care records and medicines
Inspectors saw improvements in medicines management, the information in care plans and monitoring of people's nutritional needs.
“Improvements in medicines management, environmental issues and the quality of information in people's care plans were seen.” from the report
Staff support
Staff said they felt supported by managers. Staff also received regular supervision and training relevant to their roles.
“Staff told us they felt supported by the management team and the registered manager had an open door policy.” from the report
Not all care areas checked
needs fixingThis was a targeted inspection rather than a full inspection. The remaining breaches from the previous inspection had not yet been reviewed.
“The remaining breaches found at our last inspection will be reviewed at our next scheduled inspection.” from the report
Rating still Requires Improvement
needs fixingThe overall rating did not improve because inspectors had not assessed all the key questions. The home had also been rated Requires Improvement at each of its three previous inspections since July 2017.
“The overall rating for the service has not changed following this targeted inspection and remains requires improvement.” from the report
- 01What action has been taken to address the remaining breaches from the previous inspection?
- 02What were the findings of the next comprehensive inspection after this targeted visit?
- 03How are medicines audits checked now, and what happens when a problem is found?
- 04How do managers check that care plans contain accurate and up-to-date information?
- 05How has the electronic care planning system and the improved Wi-Fi affected the recording of care?
This was a targeted inspection of well-led and governance only; the other key questions were not assessed and their ratings were not changed. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 December 2019 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 Ridgeway Care Centre
6 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2022Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementWell-led: Inspected but not rated
- August 2019Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2018Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- November 2017Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- June 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- August 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 9 December 2010.
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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9 live-in carers within about an hour of Lincolnshire
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.
8 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
“Martin was more than a carer, he managed the home and became my uncle's best friend, enriching his life during his last few years.”
“Magda was always positive and proactive about trying new things to keep dad busy. She also introduced new ideas for keeping dad healthy.”
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.