CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Shaftesbury Court (High Street)
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors were assured about infection prevention, PPE, testing, safe admissions, cleaning, outbreak planning and visiting arrangements. The provider said it had measures to reduce the risks from COVID-19-related 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
Shaftesbury Court (High Street): inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong COVID-19 infection control and visiting arrangements.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 10 February 2022. Inspectors looked mainly at infection prevention, visiting arrangements and whether COVID-19 staffing pressures were affecting the home.
Inspectors found the home clean and fresh. Staff used protective equipment, took part in regular testing and had training in infection control. The home had plans for outbreaks and safe admissions.
Relatives could keep in touch through technology and visits. The home met the requirement for non-exempt staff and visiting professionals to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
The service was inspected but not rated. This means the inspection did not give an overall quality rating or a new rating for the other areas of care.
Clean environment
The home was clean and used regular and additional cleaning schedules, including for frequently touched surfaces.
“The service was clean and fresh, staff carried out a regular cleaning schedule.” from the report
Safe admissions
New admissions were only allowed after a confirmed negative COVID-19 test. The environment had also been assessed for possible isolation arrangements.
“The provider had robust systems to ensure safe admissions, including only allowing new admissions after a confirmed negative result of the Covid-19 test.” from the report
Infection control
Staff received infection control and PPE training. Their competence was checked regularly, and the home kept sufficient PPE supplies.
“Staff had received training on infection prevention and control guidance.” from the report
Contact with relatives
Relatives could stay in touch through technology and face-to-face visits in suitable spaces, following the guidance in place at the time.
“People's relatives were able to stay in touch with people.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are you managing any COVID-19-related staffing pressures now, and could these affect the care provided?
- 02What are your current visiting arrangements, including visits for relatives who cannot visit outdoors?
- 03How would you isolate a new resident or manage an infection outbreak in the home?
- 04How often are staff checked as competent in using and disposing of PPE?
- 05How do you make sure cleaning of frequently touched surfaces is completed and checked?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, visiting arrangements and COVID-19-related staffing pressures; it did not provide a full rating of the service. This explanation was written from the published report of 26 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, September 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with no serious risks or concerns identified.
Inspectors visited unannounced on 14 and 15 August 2018. They spoke with people living at the home, relatives, staff and health and social care professionals. They reviewed care plans, medicines records, recruitment files, training records, safety checks and the way staff supported people.
All five areas were rated Good: safe, effective, caring, responsive and well-led. People said they felt safe and liked living there. Inspectors saw kind and respectful support, staff who understood people's needs, and people being supported to make choices, stay independent and take part in activities.
The home had suitable checks for medicines, safeguarding, staff recruitment, risks, accidents and the building. Staff received training and support. The report says there was no evidence of serious risks or concerns, and the Good rating remained unchanged from the previous inspection.
Staff know people well
Longstanding staff had built strong relationships and understood people's likes, dislikes and different ways of communicating.
“The care home benefitted from longstanding staff members. This enabled strong and well-established working relationships.” from the report
Kind and dignified care
Inspectors saw staff respond quickly when someone was distressed and support people discreetly with personal care.
“It was clear from our observations that people were treated with kindness and staff were caring in their approach to people.” from the report
Choice and independence
People were encouraged to make choices about food, care and activities, and to use local shops and community facilities when safe.
“There was a commitment from staff to encourage people to be independent.” from the report
Activities and community links
People took part in voluntary work, day centres, work placements, outings and a regular community walk.
“People were supported to engage in meaningful activities and keep in contact with family and friends.” from the report
Quality checks
The manager, regional manager and provider's quality team carried out regular checks, with an improvement plan for actions.
“There were clear and robust quality assurance processes in place.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01The report says staffing numbers had been increased and a new domestic post was due to start. Has that post started, and what are the current staffing levels?
- 02How would you support my relative's particular communication needs, including any non-verbal communication?
- 03What meaningful activities and community opportunities would be available to my relative?
- 04How would you involve my relative in decisions about their care and record their views?
- 05How are medicines, risks and accidents checked and reviewed now?
This was an unannounced inspection of the whole service, covering all five CQC questions; the report says the previous inspection on 1 March 2017 was a focused follow-up to a staffing breach. This explanation was written from the published report of 19 September 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 Shaftesbury Court (High Street)
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedcurrent ratingSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Shaftesbury Court (High Street) →
- September 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Shaftesbury Court (High Street) →
- April 2017Goodstayed GoodSafe: Good
- January 2016GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2014
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 July 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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89 live-in carers within about an hour of Buckinghamshire
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 £1,300 a week. 79 can care for a couple. 13 years' experience on average.
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“She was v competent and confident and we felt our mum was safe in her care. She supported us through a difficult time.”
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.