CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Rydal Care Home
Rated Requires improvement: inspectors found the home was not performing as well as it should and told it what to change.
- Safe?
- Good
- Medicines, including controlled drugs, were not always managed safely. Risk assessments were not consistently updated, and overnight staffing was regularly below the number recorded on the rota.
- Effective?
- Requires improvement
- Care records did not consistently show mental capacity assessments, best-interests decisions or information from other professionals. Staff generally had the skills and knowledge for their roles, and meals were nutritious.
- Caring?
- Good
- This question was not assessed during this focused inspection. People and relatives described kind and compassionate care.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This question was not assessed during this focused inspection. The report found that people and relatives were not properly involved in decisions about moves within the home.
- Well-led?
- Requires improvement
- Quality checks had not identified problems with medicines, records, recruitment and the building. Staff described feeling marginalised and worried about raising concerns.
What inspectors found, April 2022
Rydal Care Home rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found unsafe medicines management, weak records and poor oversight, although people received kind care.
This was an unannounced focused inspection in February and March 2022. Two inspectors and a pharmacist spoke with people, relatives and staff. They reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files, rotas and management records.
The home was not always safe. Medicines were sometimes managed incorrectly, risk assessments and care records were incomplete or contradictory, and overnight staffing was regularly lower than the rota showed. Building maintenance problems, including water and toilet faults, were fixed during the inspection.
The home was not always effective or well-led. Decisions about people's moves were not properly recorded or agreed, and staff described a management culture where they felt unable to raise concerns. The systems used to check quality had not found important problems.
The overall rating remained Requires Improvement. Safe, Effective and Well-led were each rated Requires Improvement. Caring and Responsive were not assessed during this focused inspection, so their previous ratings were used in the overall rating.
Kind care
People and relatives said they felt safe and described staff as kind and compassionate.
“People and relatives felt the home was safe. They commented on how staff were able to provide kind and compassionate care.” from the report
Committed staff
Staff were described as passionate about achieving good outcomes for the people living in the home.
“Staff we spoke with were very passionate about providing good care outcomes.” from the report
Staff skills
Inspectors found that staff generally had the skills and knowledge needed for their roles. Relevant training had been completed.
“Overall staff had the skills and knowledge to carry out their role effectively.” from the report
Food and nutrition
People received ample nutritious meals, and staff recorded food intake and monitored people's weight.
“The catering staff ensured people consistently received ample nutritious meals.” from the report
Infection arrangements
The home was meeting most infection prevention expectations, including visiting, testing, admissions and outbreak arrangements.
“We were assured that the provider was making sure infection outbreaks can be effectively prevented or managed.” from the report
Medicines
seriousSome medicines were not given exactly as prescribed. Patch placement and the storage of medicines for return, including controlled drugs, were also unsafe.
“Medicines were not always managed safely. Staff did not always follow the manufacturers guidance in where to place medicine patches.” from the report
Staffing and recruitment
needs fixingOvernight staffing was regularly lower than the rota stated. Recruitment checks did not always confirm staff qualifications, references or agency inductions.
“Overnight staffing was stretched, as they regularly ran below what was recorded on the rota.” from the report
Consent and moves
seriousRecords did not show that moves between parts of the home had been agreed with people, made under best-interests decisions where needed, or discussed with relatives.
“There were no records in people's files to show the moves had been agreed by people with capacity, done under 'best interests' decisions for people who lacked capacity and discussed with relatives.” from the report
Management culture
needs fixingStaff said they felt devalued and worried that raising concerns could lead to repercussions. Relatives also said issues were not always addressed.
“Staff felt there was no point raising concerns as either no action was taken or some felt repercussions would occur if they did.” from the report
- 01What checks now confirm that medicines are given in the prescribed dose and on time, and that controlled drugs are stored safely for return?
- 02How are risk assessments and care plans kept up to date, especially for epilepsy, mental health needs and other specific risks?
- 03How do you check the actual number of staff working overnight against the rota?
- 04How will you involve residents and relatives in any future room or unit moves, including capacity and best-interests decisions?
- 05What has changed in the way staff can raise concerns safely, and how are relatives' views now collected and acted on?
This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led only; Caring and Responsive were not assessed and their previous ratings were used in calculating the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 April 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 Rydal Care Home
7 rated inspections over 5 years: the service has held its Requires improvement rating throughout.
- June 2023Requires improvementcurrent ratingstayed Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2022Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2021Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- February 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not ratedWell-led: Inspected but not rated
- October 2020Inadequatedown from GoodSafe: InadequateWell-led: Inadequate
- February 2019Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2018Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2018Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- December 2016
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 5 December 2016.
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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36 live-in carers within about an hour of Darlington
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 £970 to £1,230 a week. 35 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
“Petty introduced herself to Mum every time she was caring for her and responded very quickly to Mum if she was distressed in the night.”
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.