CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Springfield House
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
What inspectors found, March 2022
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind, person-centred care but serious gaps in medicines, staffing, safety checks and management oversight.
This was an unannounced inspection on 05 January 2022. Inspectors spoke with people, staff and relatives, and reviewed care records, medicines records, staff files and management records. They also checked infection prevention and control.
People and relatives were generally happy with the care. Inspectors found kind staff, personalised support, good involvement in decisions, suitable activities and links with health professionals. The home was clean, personalised and homely.
However, some important safety systems were not reliable. Medicines were not always managed safely, staffing did not always match assessed needs, some safety checks were missed, risks were not always followed up, and staff training was out of date. The home was rated Requires Improvement overall, with Safe and Well-led also rated Requires Improvement. Effective, Caring and Responsive were rated Good.
Kind and respectful care
People and relatives described the support positively. Inspectors observed warm, good-humoured interactions and found that staff focused on people's preferred ways of receiving care.
“People told us and indicated they felt the staff were kind, caring and respectful.” from the report
Promoting independence
People were supported to make choices about clothing, food and activities. Staff also encouraged daily living skills and independence.
“Staff provided care and support with the emphasis on promoting people's independence and daily living skills.” from the report
Personalised support
Staff knew people well, involved them and their relatives in care planning, and updated plans when needs changed.
“People received personalised care from a staff team that knew them well and understood how to best support them.” from the report
Activities and community links
People took part in activities at the home and in the local area, including farming activities and horse riding. The report said activities were more limited when staffing was low.
“There were regular trips to places of interest in the local area.” from the report
Medicines were not always managed safely
seriousSome night staff had not been trained or competency checked to give emergency or as-needed medicines. There was also no clear guidance about applying some prescribed creams.
“Medicines were not always managed safely.” from the report
Staffing levels and training
seriousSome shifts had fewer staff than the manager assessed were needed. Several staff also had expired or incomplete training, including areas such as fire safety, epilepsy and safeguarding.
“There were not always sufficient numbers of competently trained staff on duty.” from the report
Safety checks were missed
seriousInspectors found missing fire alarm, water temperature, call bell and other environmental checks. An identified call bell fault had also taken several months to repair.
“Risks to the environment had not been mitigated.” from the report
Risks and records were not followed through
seriousBowel monitoring was incomplete for someone at risk of constipation, and unexplained bruising was not promptly escalated when the manager was away. Management audits had not identified these problems.
“The registered person failed to assess, monitor and improve the quality and safety of the service.” from the report
Restrictions and care plan language
needs fixingSome care plan wording was not respectful. Staff had locked people out of their bedrooms to encourage activities, showing that some staff did not understand people's rights and restrictions.
“Staff did not understand they were restricting the person.” from the report
- 01How do you now make sure every shift, including night shifts, has enough trained and competent staff?
- 02How do you check that staff are trained and competency checked before giving emergency or as-needed medicines?
- 03What checks are now completed for fire alarms, water temperatures, call bells, vehicles and first aid equipment, and who reviews them?
- 04How do you monitor bowel movements and promptly escalate unexplained bruising or other changes in people's health?
- 05How have care plans been reviewed to remove disrespectful language and explain the least restrictive support for people during distress?
This was the first rated inspection under the new provider and covered all five key questions, including infection prevention and control under Safe. This explanation was written from the published report of 12 March 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 Springfield House
3 rated inspections over 6 years: the service has slipped, from Good to Requires improvement.
- March 2022Requires improvementcurrent ratingdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- April 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- September 2020
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 21 September 2020.
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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39 live-in carers within about an hour of Kent
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 £980 to £1,260 a week. 33 can care for a couple. 12 years' experience on average.
“Always on time and with a lovely smile for my mum. Theresa is kind and sensitive to my mum's needs.”
“Irene was a very kind and empathetic carer who knew just the right words to say to put a smile on my face.”
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.