CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Ringstead House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found robust care assessments, suitable staffing, safe recruitment and safe medicines arrangements. The home was clean, and people were not restricted from having visitors.
- Effective?
- Good
- Staff had suitable training and worked with relatives and health professionals. People were supported with food, healthcare, education, exercise and social activities. DoLS applications had not resulted in authorisations being in place at the time of inspection.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Their cultural needs, choices, privacy and independence were considered.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs, communication styles, routines and preferences. People were supported with daily living skills, family relationships, trips and social activities.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The home had effective quality checks, good communication and a positive culture. However, one incident had not been reported to CQC within the required time, and there was no registered manager in post during the inspection.
What inspectors found, June 2024
Ringstead House was rated Good overall; inspectors found kind, person-centred care, but DoLS arrangements and one late CQC notification needed attention.
This was an unannounced inspection on 31 October and 8 November 2023. Two inspectors spoke with one person, three relatives and staff. They reviewed care, medicines, recruitment, training, complaints and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found people were supported by staff who knew them well. Care was kind and respectful, and people were supported to make choices, attend activities and use local services.
There were some issues to address. People who lacked capacity did not have DoLS authorisations in place at the time of the inspection, although applications were said to have been made. The provider had also failed to notify CQC about one incident on time. There was no registered manager in post during the inspection, although a new manager had applied to register.
Choice and independence
People were supported to make choices and have control over their lives. Staff managed risks while keeping restrictions to a minimum.
“People were supported to have maximum choice and control of their lives and staff supported them in the least restrictive way possible and in their best interests” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw people being treated with kindness. Care plans included information about people's histories and protected characteristics.
“People received kind and compassionate care, and their privacy and dignity were respected.” from the report
Consistent staff
Staff turnover was low, so people were supported by care workers who knew them well.
“Staff turnover was low, which supported people to receive consistent care from care workers who knew them well.” from the report
Activities and community life
People were supported to attend colleges, gyms, social events and trips. Relatives were encouraged to stay involved.
“People were also able to attend colleges, gyms and social events.” from the report
DoLS were not in place
needs fixingAt the time of inspection, people who lacked capacity did not have DoLS authorisations in place. The report says applications had been made to the local authority in May 2023, so ask for an update.
“However, there were no DoLS in place for people.” from the report
One incident was reported late
needs fixingThe provider had not told CQC about one incident within the required time. The notification was submitted after the inspection.
“The provider had failed to notify CQC of 1 incident that occurred at the service prior to the inspection of which they had a legal requirement to do.” from the report
Manager registration was pending
minorThere was no registered manager in post when inspectors visited. A new manager had applied to register, and CQC was still assessing the application.
“At the time of our inspection there was not a registered manager in post.” from the report
- 01What is the current position on the DoLS applications made to the local authority in May 2023?
- 02Which people now have DoLS authorisations in place, and how are their restrictions reviewed?
- 03Who is currently managing the home, and has the manager's CQC registration application been approved?
- 04What caused the missed CQC notification, and what checks are now in place to ensure incidents are reported on time?
- 05How is the planned refresher training for staff progressing?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, including the premises and care provided; inspectors visited on two dates. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 June 2024 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
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, caring and personalised support, with earlier staffing problems addressed.
Inspectors visited without notice on 27 November 2017. They reviewed care records, staff records, medicines, policies and management records. They also spoke with two people using the service, two care workers and a deputy manager.
The home was supporting four people, with space for up to four. Inspectors found detailed risk assessments and care plans, safe medicines practice, suitable staffing and staff who understood safeguarding procedures.
People were involved in their care and supported with food, health needs, activities and independence. Inspectors found that privacy and dignity were respected, complaints were handled appropriately and quality checks were thorough.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The previous inspection in 2015 found a breach about safe staffing, but inspectors said the provider had taken appropriate action by this inspection.
Staffing improved
The earlier staffing shortfall had been addressed. Inspectors found enough suitable staff to support people safely and meet their needs.
“At this inspection we found appropriate actions had been taken to provide safe staffing levels and meet all the fundamental standards” from the report
Personalised risk support
Risk assessments gave staff clear information about individual risks, triggers and the practical steps to take. People were involved in taking positive risks to build independence.
“Risk assessments and care plans contained a good level of information for care staff about known risks and guidance for how they were expected to mitigate these.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
People described staff positively. Staff understood people's histories and routines, respected their privacy and encouraged them to do more for themselves.
“People told us they were treated with kindness and compassion by the care workers who supported them.” from the report
Activities and choice
People were supported to go out, follow their interests and take part in activities they chose. Records explained what support each person needed.
“People told us they went out every day to places of their choice.” from the report
Strong management checks
The provider used audits, meetings and reviews to monitor care and identify improvements. Staff said they felt valued and able to speak up about mistakes.
“Quality monitoring systems helped ensure the provider delivered safe and effective care.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you now calculate staffing levels for each person, and what happens if more staff are needed?
- 02How often will my relative's care plan and risk assessments be reviewed and updated?
- 03How are medicines checked, recorded and reviewed if there is a missed or refused dose?
- 04What activities and community outings would be available for my relative, and how would staff support their choices?
- 05How can my relative or family raise a complaint, and how will we be told about the response?
This was an unannounced inspection covering the overall quality of the home and all five CQC questions, using a site visit, records and follow-up telephone calls. This explanation was written from the published report of 7 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 Ringstead House
3 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- June 2024Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2015GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- September 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 19 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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