CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Rivers Reach
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, August 2019
Rated Good and remained Good; inspectors found safe, kind and person-centred care, with some end-of-life planning still to complete.
This was an unannounced inspection on 8 July 2019. One inspector reviewed care, medicines and management records, spoke with people, staff and relatives, and contacted health and social care professionals.
The home supported three people, with space for up to five. Inspectors found that people were safe, treated with kindness and involved in decisions about their care. Staff supported independence, community activities and relationships.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. The home was also rated Good at the previous inspection, published on 18 January 2017, so this rating remained unchanged.
Building independence
People were supported to learn skills, take part in daily tasks and have as much choice and control as possible.
“People's support focused on them having as many opportunities as possible to gain new skills and become more independent.” from the report
Safe medicines
Staff were trained to give medicines. Daily and monthly checks helped ensure medicines were available and given as prescribed.
“People continued to receive their medicines safely. There were suitable systems in place to ensure that medicines were securely stored, ordered and disposed of correctly and safely” from the report
Kind relationships
Inspectors saw staff listening to people and treating them with respect. People appeared relaxed and comfortable with staff.
“Our observations of staff demonstrated that they were kind, respectful and listened to people.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans recorded people's preferences, abilities and support needs. Staff used this information to adapt care to each person.
“People's care plans were person centred and people, their families and external professionals, where relevant, were involved in regular reviews of their care and support.” from the report
Good partnership working
The home sought help from health and social care professionals and acted on their advice when people's needs changed.
“The staff team and [registered] manager contact us for support and advice when needed and listen and act on the advice we give them, which has a positive impact” from the report
End-of-life information
minorOne person had an end-of-life care plan, but information had not yet been recorded for other people. The manager said this was being planned.
“although other people did not yet have this information captured, this was being planned and would be approached sensitively at the right time for each person.” from the report
- 01How will you record and review my relative's end-of-life wishes, including cultural or religious preferences?
- 02How would you manage my relative's specific health risks, such as choking, eating or drinking needs?
- 03What activities, community opportunities or work placements could you offer based on my relative's interests?
- 04How will you involve my relative and our family in care plan reviews and decisions?
- 05How do you check that medicines are given correctly and that any as-required medicines are used appropriately?
This was an unannounced inspection covering the overall service, the premises and care provided, with all five CQC questions rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 3 August 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.
What inspectors found, January 2017
Rivers Reach was rated Good in every area; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care with no breaches reported.
Inspectors visited on 6 December 2016. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives, staff and healthcare professionals. They reviewed care plans, medicines records and recruitment files, and observed care.
They found people were safe, with risks assessed and reviewed. Medicines were stored securely and records were accurate. There were enough trained staff, and recruitment checks had been completed.
People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Their care plans included their preferences and routines. People had choices about food, activities and daily life, and the home worked with healthcare professionals to support their health.
All five areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. The previous inspection in June 2014 had found the service was meeting the regulations inspected at that time.
Detailed risk planning
Risks linked to people's health, behaviour and the building were assessed and regularly reviewed. Plans gave staff clear instructions about how to support people safely.
“Risk assessments were reviewed on a monthly basis or more often if necessary to ensure they reflected people's current needs.” from the report
Kind and respectful care
Inspectors saw cheerful and supportive interactions. Staff protected privacy and dignity and knew people well.
“Throughout the inspection we observed staff interacting with people with care and kindness.” from the report
Personalised support
Care plans included people's likes, dislikes, routines and preferred ways of receiving support. Staff could explain how to support each person.
“The support plans were written in an individual and person centred way, which included likes and dislikes.” from the report
Choice and independence
People helped plan menus and chose when and where to eat. Staff encouraged people to do as much as possible for themselves and supported a wide range of activities.
“People were very much involved in the menu planning.” from the report
Strong oversight
The manager carried out regular checks on medicines, health and safety, staffing, infection control and other areas. Feedback from people, relatives and professionals was positive.
“The registered manager carried out daily, weekly and monthly checks of areas including medication, health and safety, staffing levels, infection control and falls analyses.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01What is the current outcome of the Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards applications made for all five people?
- 02How often are my relative's risk assessments and care plans reviewed, and how are changes shared with staff?
- 03How is medicines support, including medicines given when required, checked and recorded now?
- 04What activities and community opportunities are currently available, and how are they matched to my relative's interests?
- 05How do you make sure there are enough suitably trained staff for appointments, activities, evenings and weekends?
This was a planned inspection covering the overall quality of the service and all five key questions; the report says the previous inspection was in June 2014. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 January 2017 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 Rivers Reach
2 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- August 2019Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- January 2017GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 April 2014.
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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26 live-in carers within about an hour of Hampshire
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 £1,020 to £1,260 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 14 years' experience on average.
“I cannot recommend Prisca highly enough, she is one in a million.”
“He stayed with her throughout the pandemic, refusing to visit his own family, who lived nearby, to reduce the risk of infection.”
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.