CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Sophia Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, May 2018
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, respectful and person-centred care, with no major problems identified.
This was an unannounced, planned comprehensive inspection on 26 October 2017. Inspectors spoke with people living at the home, staff and family members. They observed care and checked care records, staff records, medicines records and management records.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines arrangements, suitable training and recruitment checks, and care plans that gave detailed guidance about people's needs.
People were treated with dignity and respect. Their health, cultural, religious and social needs were supported. The home offered activities and an annual holiday, although no planned activities were taking place during the inspection visit.
At the previous comprehensive inspection in August 2015, the home was Good overall but needed to improve its work under the Mental Capacity Act. A focused inspection in January 2017 found that this issue had been addressed, and the service was then Good in all areas.
Safe medicines
Inspectors found that medicines were given appropriately and records were well maintained. Medicines were also stored safely.
“People's medicines were managed safely.” from the report
Person-centred care
Care plans included people's preferences, communication needs, personal history and support needs. Staff were observed responding respectfully and sensitively.
“Care plans were up to date and person centred, and contained guidance for staff in relation to meeting people's identified needs.” from the report
Health and nutrition
Meals were varied and nutritious, with choices and support available. The home kept in contact with relevant health professionals.
“We saw that menus and records of the meals that people ate were varied and nutritious.” from the report
Management and quality checks
The manager was regularly present and staff meetings provided opportunities to discuss people's support and quality issues. The home acted on actions identified through its checks.
“There were systems in place to monitor the quality of the service and we saw evidence that regular quality reviews had taken place.” from the report
Activities not observed
minorThe report says the home provided activities during the week, but inspectors did not see any planned activity taking place on the inspection day. This was a minor limitation of the visit rather than a reported breach.
“During our inspection we did not see any planned activities taking place.” from the report
- 01What activities are currently planned each week, and how do you make sure people can take part in activities they choose?
- 02How do you review care plans and risk assessments when a person's needs or health changes?
- 03How do you support people who may lack capacity to make decisions, and how are any Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards authorisations kept under review?
- 04What training and supervision do staff currently receive for people's individual needs, including epilepsy, diabetes, communication needs and positive behaviour support?
- 05How are families involved in reviews, surveys and complaints, and how are actions from their feedback followed up?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, with inspectors speaking to people, staff and families, observing care and checking records. This explanation was written from the published report of 5 May 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.
What inspectors found, May 2017
Rated Good; inspectors found the home had corrected earlier problems with legal safeguards, although a DoLS assessment was still pending.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 30 January 2017. One inspector reviewed the home’s records, spoke with the manager, a support worker and one resident, and checked care documents and staff training records.
The inspection looked only at whether care was effective, especially compliance with the Mental Capacity Act and Deprivation of Liberty Safeguards. The home had applied for the required DoLS authorisation and was following its updated policy.
The effective rating was Good. At the previous comprehensive inspection in August 2015, effective care had been rated Requires Improvement because a DoLS application had not been made. The other four ratings and the overall Good rating carried over from that earlier inspection.
DoLS application made
The home had made the required application for a person who needed continuous supervision. The manager had also kept in contact with the local authority about the application.
“At this inspection we found that an application for a DoLS authorisation for the person had been made to the relevant local authority.” from the report
Updated legal guidance
The home had an up-to-date policy on the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS, and inspectors found records showing that staff had followed it.
“The home had an up to date policy and procedure in respect of the MCA and DoLS. The records that we viewed showed that this had been followed.” from the report
Staff training
Staff had completed mandatory training, and four staff members had recently completed refresher training on the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS.
“Staff members had received mandatory training for health and social care workers.” from the report
DoLS assessment still pending
minorThe local authority had not completed its assessment of the DoLS application when inspectors visited. The manager was following up the application.
“At the time of our inspection the local authority had not undertaken an assessment of the application.” from the report
Further staff training planned
minorFour staff members had received recent refresher training, but further Mental Capacity Act and DoLS training was still being arranged for all staff.
“The registered manager told us that further training in MCA and DoLS was planned for all staff members” from the report
- 01What was the outcome of the DoLS application that was still awaiting a local authority assessment at the inspection?
- 02Have all staff now completed the planned refresher training on the Mental Capacity Act and DoLS?
- 03How do you assess whether each resident has capacity to make decisions about their care and support?
- 04How do you make sure any restrictions on a resident’s freedom are legally authorised and kept as limited as possible?
This was a focused inspection of the effective question only; the safe, caring, responsive and well-led ratings carried over from the comprehensive inspection in August 2015. This explanation was written from the published report of 4 May 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 Sophia Care Home
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2018Goodcurrent ratingstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2017Goodstayed GoodEffective: Good
- October 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: Requires improvementCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- April 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2011
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 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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