CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Shire House Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, February 2023
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, well-managed care, with safety improved since the previous inspection.
The inspection was unannounced. One inspector visited on 6 February 2023 and reviewed records, medicines, staff recruitment and how the home was managed. They spoke with six people, three relatives, nine staff members and a health and social care professional.
The home was rated Good overall. Safe was rated Good, improving from Requires Improvement at the previous inspection. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practice, suitable risk assessments, good infection control and appropriate action after accidents.
Well-led was rated Good and stayed at Good. People, relatives and staff were positive about the management and the home’s friendly culture. Inspectors noted that governance and oversight had been strengthened since the last inspection.
Safe staffing
The home used people’s care needs to set staffing levels. People and relatives said staff were available and responded in good time.
“There were sufficient staff to meet people's needs.” from the report
Medicines
People received medicines on time and as prescribed. Records were completed correctly, and staff had training and competency checks.
“People received their medicines on time and as prescribed.” from the report
Risk management
People had individual risk assessments that were reviewed. The provider had also improved environmental risk checks after using a care consultant.
“People had individual risk assessments as required to cover areas of their life including mobility, dietary intake, blood thinning medication and skin integrity.” from the report
Open culture
Inspectors found a friendly, homely culture. People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management and the way concerns could be raised.
“Shire House Care Home had a friendly and homely culture.” from the report
Learning from incidents
Accidents and incidents were recorded, reviewed for patterns and used to make changes, such as repairing a carpet after a trip.
“Accidents and incidents were reported and recorded appropriately.” from the report
Follow-up from staff meetings
needs fixingOne staff member said that some matters discussed at meetings did not receive immediate solutions. Inspectors raised this with the registered manager, who planned a clearer follow-up approach.
“We are encouraged to attend meetings but some of the agenda in our meeting is not given immediate solutions.” from the report
- 01How do you make sure actions raised at staff meetings are followed up and explained to staff?
- 02How are staffing levels reviewed when residents’ care needs change?
- 03How will nursing needs be coordinated with the community nursing service?
- 04How are individual risk assessments reviewed with residents and their relatives?
- 05What changes were made after the previous inspection to improve risk management and oversight?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; Effective, Caring and Responsive were not assessed in this report. This explanation was written from the published report of 22 February 2023 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, April 2021
Inspected but not rated in this targeted visit; the previous overall rating remained Good, with improved food and drink monitoring and effective infection controls.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 11 March 2021. One inspector checked concerns about how the home monitored people's food and drink intake, and also checked infection prevention measures during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Inspectors found that new food and drink monitoring records and processes had been fully implemented. Individual drink targets were recorded, charts were completed accurately, and senior staff checked them during the day. Medical professionals were contacted when people had difficulties eating or drinking, or had lost weight.
Inspectors found the home clean and well maintained. Staff used protective equipment correctly, people and staff were tested, and social distancing, handwashing, cleaning and visiting arrangements were in place. This visit did not reassess the whole service, so the previous overall rating of Good remained unchanged.
Food and drink monitoring
People at risk had individual targets and monitoring charts. Inspectors found the charts were completed accurately and checked during the day.
“New documentation and processes for monitoring the records had been fully implemented in February 2021.” from the report
Support with eating and drinking
Staff followed people's individual plans and involved medical professionals or speech and language therapists when people had difficulties eating, drinking or swallowing.
“Staff understood, and followed, people's individual plans.” from the report
Infection control
The home was clean and maintained well. Inspectors were assured about cleaning, protective equipment, testing, social distancing and managing possible outbreaks.
“We were assured that the provider was making sure infection outbreaks can be effectively prevented or managed.” from the report
Protective equipment and testing
Staff had training and enough protective equipment. People and staff were regularly tested under the current testing programme.
“Staff were seen to be wearing their PPE appropriately throughout our visit.” from the report
Inspectors raised no specific concerns in this report.
- 01How are my relative's individual food and drink targets set and reviewed?
- 02How often are food and drink charts checked, and what happens if intake is lower than expected?
- 03How will you support my relative if they have difficulty swallowing or lose weight?
- 04What are the current arrangements for testing, visiting and infection control?
- 05If my relative needs nursing care, how will the home work with the community nursing service?
This was a targeted inspection of specific food and drink risk management and infection control under Safe; it did not assess the whole service, so the previous ratings, including the overall Good rating, carried over. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 April 2021 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 Shire House Care Home
3 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- February 2023Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- April 2021Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- November 2017Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Good
- June 2016Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: Requires improvementCaring: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 13 January 2011.
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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15 live-in carers within about an hour of Dorset
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 £1,040 to £1,340 a week. 11 can care for a couple. 10 years' experience on average.
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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.