CQC report explained · a nursing home
What the CQC found at Saffron Gardens - Prospect Place
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found sufficient staff, risk assessments, safe medicines systems and suitable infection control. Some risk assessments lacked detail, and automatic door closures were missing in some rooms while fire safety work was underway.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed, staff were trained and supported, and staff worked with healthcare professionals. Food feedback was mixed, although people were supported to eat and drink and their weight and nutrition risks were monitored.
- Caring?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. The previous rating was carried forward.
- Responsive?
- Outstanding
- This key question was not inspected during this visit. The previous rating was carried forward.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a person-centred culture, clear management arrangements and effective audits. They also found gaps in some care records and concerns about communication with relatives.
What inspectors found, July 2022
Rated Good; inspectors found kind, safe care, but communication and care-record detail needed improvement.
This was an unannounced inspection over three visits in June 2022. Inspectors spoke with staff, relatives and a healthcare professional. They observed care and checked care records, medicines records and other documents.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective and Well-led were each rated Good. Inspectors found enough staff, kind and patient care, suitable training, good work with healthcare professionals and an open approach to learning from concerns.
The inspection was prompted by concerns about staffing, communication, food and individual care. Inspectors found no evidence that people were harmed by these concerns. They did identify variable detail in some care records and concerns about communication with relatives. The home was asked to improve these areas.
Kind and patient care
Staff were observed supporting people calmly and without rushing. People responded positively, including with smiles and laughter.
“People received care and support from staff who were kind, caring and patient in their approach.” from the report
Staffing and continuity
There were enough staff to keep people safe during the inspection. Regular agency staff were used when needed to provide continuity during staffing difficulties.
“However, this had been managed in such a way that the impact on people living in the home had been minimised.” from the report
Staff training and development
Staff said they were satisfied with their training and support. The manager supported staff who wanted to progress into more senior roles.
“Staff were satisfied with their training and support.” from the report
Learning from concerns
The home had acted on earlier concerns, including concerns about oral health. Inspectors found an open approach to accidents and complaints.
“There was an open and transparent culture around accidents and concerns.” from the report
Care records lacked detail
needs fixingSome records had gaps and did not fully show the care people had received. Inspectors recommended monitoring records and daily notes as the new care planning system was introduced.
“We found that in some people's records there were gaps and a lack of detail about the care people had received.” from the report
Communication with relatives
needs fixingSome relatives said communication had become poor and that they had to ask for information rather than receiving it. The home planned to review how it shared important news.
“Communication is poor” from the report
Fire safety improvements
needs fixingSome rooms in Orchard Court did not have automatic door closures. Work had started, and the provider said temporary safety measures were in place.
“In Orchard Court we found that individual rooms did not have automatic door closures.” from the report
Mixed views about food
minorRelatives gave mixed feedback about the quality and nutritional value of meals. The manager was working on improvements and a new head chef was due to start.
“Feedback about the quality of food was mixed.” from the report
- 01What changes have been made to care records and daily notes since inspectors found gaps and a lack of detail?
- 02How do you now keep relatives informed about important developments and changes at the home?
- 03What improvements were made to the food and its nutritional value after the inspection?
- 04Have the automatic door closures in Orchard Court now been installed, and what fire safety measures are in place?
- 05What happened to the planned improvements to the unsafe garden area attached to Aster Court?
This was a focused inspection of Safe, Effective and Well-led; Caring and Responsive were not inspected and their previous ratings were carried forward. This explanation was written from the published report of 30 July 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 2018
Rated Good; Saffron Gardens - Prospect Place provided kind, safe care, with outstanding attention to people's individual needs.
This was an unannounced inspection on 8 and 12 November 2018. The inspectors spoke with eight people, nine relatives and nine staff. They also reviewed eight care records and other records about the home.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe, Effective, Caring and Well-led were all rated Good. Responsive was rated Outstanding, because staff provided highly personalised care, activities and support that reflected people's culture, wishes and interests.
The home did not have a registered manager during the inspection. However, this had only been for a short time, and the provider had acted promptly to recruit one. Inspectors also found some care records needed clearer detail, but staff could explain how people were supported and these issues were acted on immediately.
Activities and wellbeing
The wellbeing team and homemaker provided meaningful activities and helped people maintain independence and connections with others.
“There was a wellbeing team in place providing people with a range of meaningful activities.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw positive relationships and found that people were treated with dignity and respect.
“People were treated with dignity and respect.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
There were enough staff to meet people's needs safely. Medicines were stored securely and electronic prompts supported administration.
“There were sufficient numbers of staff available to ensure people's safety.” from the report
No registered manager at the visit
needs fixingThe home was without a registered manager during the inspection. The report says this was short term and that the provider had acted promptly to recruit one.
“At the time of our inspection there wasn't a registered manager in place.” from the report
Some care plans needed more detail
needs fixingSome plans did not clearly explain specific support instructions. Staff could explain the support, and senior staff acted on the inspectors' feedback immediately.
“We did find in some care plans, there were specific areas of information that needed to be clearer.” from the report
Health instructions were not always precise
minorOne diabetes care plan described what to do when a reading was high but did not say what level counted as high. Inspectors also said the frequency of wound photographs was unclear.
“It wasn't clear how often these photographs were taken; the head of clinical excellence told us they would review this to ensure photographs were used effectively.” from the report
Odour found briefly
minorInspectors noticed an odour in Orchard Court on the first visit day. The report says this was addressed quickly before the second visit day.
“On the first day of our visit, we noted an odour on Orchard Court.” from the report
- 01Is there now a registered manager in place, and who is responsible for the home if that person is absent?
- 02How do you make sure care plans clearly record specific instructions, such as diabetes readings and wound care?
- 03How often are wound photographs taken, and how is the person's progress reviewed?
- 04How does the twilight shift affect staffing and support during evening routines?
- 05How would you support my relative's cultural, faith, food and activity preferences?
This was an unannounced inspection of the home under its current registration arrangement and covered all five CQC questions; it was the first inspection under that arrangement. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 December 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 Saffron Gardens - Prospect Place
2 rated inspections over 4 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- July 2022Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Saffron Gardens - Prospect Place →
- December 2018GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Saffron Gardens - Prospect Place →
- December 2017
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 7 December 2017.
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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