CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at St Anthony's Residential Home (Erdington) Ltd
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Requires improvement
- Medicines were given at the correct time and as prescribed, but medicine trolleys were not always stored securely. Some staff did not wear PPE correctly or follow all infection-control guidance.
- Effective?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- This area was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used when calculating the overall rating.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The new provider and manager had introduced audits, clearer staff roles and an action plan. Staff said they felt supported and listened to.
What inspectors found, September 2021
St Anthony's Residential Home (Erdington) Ltd was rated Good overall, but inspectors found medicines were not always stored safely and infection-control practice was inconsistent.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 18 August 2021. Inspectors looked only at whether the home was safe and well-led. They spoke with people living there, relatives and staff, observed care, and checked care, medicines, staffing and management records.
The overall rating was Good. The well-led rating was Good. However, Safe was rated Requires Improvement because medicine trolleys were not always stored securely and some staff did not follow infection-control guidance consistently. The home took immediate action during or after the inspection to reduce these risks.
People told inspectors they felt safe and were happy with the care. Staff responded to people's needs promptly, accidents were reviewed, and the new manager and provider had introduced audits and an improvement plan. The other three areas were not inspected at this visit, so their previous ratings were used in the overall rating.
People felt safe
People and relatives said they felt safe. Staff understood how to recognise and report possible abuse, and safeguarding concerns had been dealt with appropriately.
“People told us they felt safe and we observed they were comfortable in the presence of the staff who supported them.” from the report
Prompt staffing
People said there were enough staff, and inspectors saw staff respond to people's needs in a timely way. There were no staff vacancies at the time.
“People told us there were enough staff to meet their needs. We observed staff respond to people's needs in a timely manner.” from the report
Improving management
The new provider and manager had introduced quality audits, clearer responsibilities and an action plan to address improvements.
“An action plan was in place identifying areas for improvement and action across the service and those responsible for ensuring this work was done.” from the report
Medicine storage
seriousBoth medicine trolleys had been left in communal areas. Although locked, they had not been secured to the wall, creating a safety concern.
“On arrival at the service we noted both medication trolleys had been left in communal areas and although locked, had not been secured to the wall.” from the report
PPE practice
needs fixingNot all staff wore face coverings correctly, and one staff member was unsure how to put on PPE. A bin without a lid was also being used for PPE waste, although it was removed after inspectors raised this.
“We noted that not all staff wore their face coverings correctly and one member of staff was unsure of the order in which to put on their PPE.” from the report
- 01How are medicine trolleys now secured when they are not being used?
- 02How do you check that all staff wear and dispose of PPE correctly?
- 03What additional moving and handling training has been completed, and how are staff competencies checked?
- 04How are the new audits and action plan reviewed, and what improvements have been completed?
- 05What are the current ratings or most recent evidence for Effective, Caring and Responsive, which were not inspected at this visit?
This was a focused inspection of Safe and Well-led only; the ratings for Effective, Caring and Responsive were not inspected and previous ratings were used in calculating the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 21 September 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.
What inspectors found, July 2019
Rated Requires Improvement; inspectors found kind and effective care but safety checks and leadership oversight need improvement.
Inspectors visited St Anthony's Residential Home in June 2019 to check the quality and safety of care for 36 older people, some with dementia. They spoke with residents, relatives, staff, and reviewed records.
They found people were happy with the care and felt safe with kind, well-trained staff who respected their choices and dignity. Meals and activities were good, and health needs were well supported.
However, the home had problems with managing medicines safely and keeping detailed risk assessments. The provider's checks and audits did not spot these issues, meaning safety could not be fully assured.
The leadership was visible and approachable, but the systems to monitor and improve the service were not working well. The provider took immediate action during the inspection to address concerns.
Kind and caring staff
People described staff as kind, caring and respectful and felt well supported.
“Everyone spoken with described care staff as 'kind, caring and respectful' and told us 'nothing was too much trouble for staff'.” from the report
Medicines management
seriousMedicines were overstocked, not always stored safely, and protocols for 'as required' medicines were missing.
“We saw medicines were overstocked and had not been stored safely. Systems in place for the management and storage of medicines were not effective.” from the report
Risk assessments lacking detail
needs fixingRisk assessments did not give clear guidance to staff on how to keep people safe, risking inconsistent care.
“Risk assessments in place did not provide clear guidance to staff on how to manage and mitigate the risks to people.” from the report
Poor quality audits and governance
seriousAudits failed to identify key safety issues and the provider lacked full oversight of the service.
“The audits that were in place had failed to identify the areas for improvement that were found on inspection.” from the report
Lack of analysis of incidents
needs fixingAccidents and incidents were not analysed for trends, missing chances to improve safety.
“There was no analysis of the information that was collected which would help identify any trends and potential actions to taken.” from the report
- 01How does the home ensure medicines are stored and managed safely?
- 02Can you explain how risk assessments are kept detailed and up to date?
- 03What systems are in place to audit and improve the quality and safety of care?
- 04How are incidents and accidents analysed to prevent future problems?
- 05How does the home involve residents and families in decisions about care and service improvements?
This was a comprehensive inspection covering all key areas of care and management. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 July 2019 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 St Anthony's Residential Home (Erdington) Ltd
4 rated inspections over 7 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- September 2021Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at St Anthony's Residential Home (Erdington) Ltd →
- July 2019Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
Read what inspectors found at St Anthony's Residential Home (Erdington) Ltd →
- October 2016Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- October 2014GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- February 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 18 July 2013.
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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