CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Riverlea House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured that infection risks were being managed, including visitor procedures, PPE, testing, cleaning, admissions and visits. The provider also said it had measures to reduce the risks linked to COVID-19 staffing pressures.
- Effective?
- Good
- Does the care work? Training, consent, food and drink, working with GPs and nurses.
- Caring?
- Good
- Are people treated with kindness and dignity?
- Responsive?
- Good
- Is care built around the person? Care plans, activities, complaints.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Is the home run well? The manager, the culture, how problems get found and fixed.
What inspectors found, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found good infection control and visiting arrangements during the COVID-19 pandemic.
This was an unannounced, targeted inspection on 17 January 2022. Inspectors looked at infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and whether staffing pressures were affecting care.
Inspectors found clear guidance for visitors, effective use of personal protective equipment and regular testing for staff and residents. They also found the home was clean and that high-touch areas were cleaned more often.
The home met the requirements about COVID-19 vaccination for non-exempt staff and visiting professionals. The service was inspected but not rated, so this report does not provide a new overall quality rating.
Clear visitor guidance
Visitors were given clear instructions about what to do during visits, including which protective equipment to wear.
“Visitors were provided clear guidance on procedures they needed to follow during visits to Riverlea House.” from the report
PPE and infection training
Staff had infection control training and inspectors saw them using PPE correctly. PPE stations were available around the home.
“We observed staff wearing their PPE in line with government guidance, and there were donning and doffing stations situated throughout the service.” from the report
Clean environment
Inspectors found the home clean, with more frequent cleaning of high-touch areas during the pandemic.
“The service was clean, and cleaning had been increased during the pandemic to sure high touch point areas were cleaned more frequently.” from the report
Regular testing
Staff and residents were tested regularly. Staff were tested before shifts and staff who tested positive did not attend work.
“For staff this included lateral flow tests three times a week before their shift.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are staffing pressures being managed now, and have they affected people's care or activities?
- 02How often are staff and residents tested now, and what happens if someone tests positive?
- 03What infection control and PPE arrangements are currently in place for visitors?
- 04How are visits being supported now, including visits for people living with dementia?
- 05How do you check that staff and visiting professionals meet the current vaccination requirements or have an exemption?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it did not provide an overall quality rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 February 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, October 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with all five areas rated Good.
This was an unannounced planned inspection on 23 September 2019. One inspector spoke with six people, one relative and five staff. They also checked care, medicines and recruitment records.
People told inspectors they felt safe and at home. Staff understood people's needs, respected their choices and supported them with food, medicines, health appointments, activities and end of life planning.
The home had enough staff, safe recruitment checks and systems for managing risks and medicines. Managers carried out regular checks, listened to feedback and acted on suggestions. The overall rating remained Good, as it was at the previous inspection published in January 2017.
People felt safe
People said they felt safe and staff responded promptly when support was needed. Staff understood safeguarding and whistleblowing procedures.
“People felt safe and at home at Riverlea House.” from the report
Respect and choice
Staff respected people's privacy, routines, lifestyle choices and preferred ways of communicating. People were encouraged to remain independent.
“People were treated with dignity and respect and their lifestyle and equality needs and choices were understood and respected.” from the report
Personalised care
People helped plan their care and could choose how they spent their time, what they wore, when they got up and went to bed, and who supported them.
“People and their relatives had planned their care with staff, including how they preferred to be supported.” from the report
Good oversight
Managers carried out regular checks, reviewed action plans and listened to feedback from people, relatives and staff.
“Effective systems had been put in place to continually monitor the quality of the service and address any shortfalls.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How do you currently decide how many staff are needed on each shift for my relative's assessed needs?
- 02How are medicines checked and how do you make sure staff remain competent to administer them?
- 03How will you support my relative to keep their routines, relationships and preferred activities?
- 04How do you provide activities when the activities coordinator is away?
- 05How would you record and follow my relative's end of life wishes, including any decisions about CPR?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions, with checks of care, medicines and recruitment records; the previous Good ratings were all carried forward as Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 October 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 Riverlea House
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
- October 2019Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- October 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- June 2012
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 6 June 2012.
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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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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Most charge £980 to £1,260 a week. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
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