CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at St Clare Rest Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, robust recruitment checks, safe medicine management and suitable arrangements for risks, emergencies and infection control.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before moving in and care plans were reviewed. Staff were trained and supported, and people had suitable food, drink and access to health professionals.
- Caring?
- Good
- People were treated with kindness, dignity and respect. Staff encouraged independence, supported personal choices and helped people maintain important relationships.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences. People had activities, visiting services and support to raise complaints or discuss concerns.
- Well-led?
- Good
- Inspectors found a positive culture, approachable management and staff who worked well together. People, relatives and staff were invited to give feedback.
What inspectors found, May 2019
Rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with a new quality audit system still to be tested.
Inspectors made an unannounced, comprehensive visit on 29 April 2019. They reviewed care, medicine and staff records, accident and complaint records, training files and quality checks. They spoke with people living in the home, relatives and staff, and received comments from health professionals.
The home was rated Good in all five areas: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicine arrangements, suitable training, personalised care plans and good access to health professionals.
People described friendly and respectful care. They were supported to make choices, remain independent, keep relationships and take part in activities. The home was clean, and inspectors found staff understood safeguarding, emergencies and people's risks.
The previous rating was Requires Improvement. Since then, the rating was displayed properly, fire safety arrangements had been improved, and the home had introduced a new audit template. Inspectors had not yet been able to judge how effective this new template was.
Respectful care
People said they were treated with respect and supported to remain independent and in control of their daily lives.
“I've always been treated with respect, it's my home.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs and spend time with them. Staff numbers had been increased after feedback from staff.
“You can always rely on things. I'm never left stranded and am well taken care of. Staff don't rush me… You never wait a long time.” from the report
Safe medicines
Medicines were stored and given safely. Staff had protected time for this task and understood when-needed medicines.
“Medicines were stored, and staff managed medicines safely.” from the report
Activities and choice
People had a planned programme of activities and could choose where to spend their time and how meals were served.
“We get a monthly programme, there is something most days.” from the report
Listening to feedback
People and relatives could give their views, and records showed that suggestions were acted on.
“Through the residents' meeting I got a clock put on the library wall, it was done almost right away.” from the report
New audit system not yet tested
minorThe manager had introduced a new audit template and action plan, but inspectors could not yet assess whether it was effective. This is a minor point to follow up.
“We will be able to assess how effective this is in our next inspection.” from the report
- 01How has the new audit template and action plan worked since the inspection?
- 02How would you support my relative's specific mobility, falls, skin care or health needs?
- 03What activities would suit my relative, and how would you support them if they preferred time alone?
- 04How would you involve my relative and our family in care planning and decisions?
- 05How would you record and support end of life wishes if my relative's needs changed?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five CQC questions: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 May 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.
What inspectors found, May 2018
Rated Requires Improvement overall; inspectors found good care in most areas, but the home had weak quality checks and did not display its rating correctly.
Inspectors visited without notice on 13 and 15 February 2018. They looked at four care records and four staff files, observed the home, and spoke with people, a relative, staff and healthcare professionals.
People were described as safe and well cared for. Staff managed risks and medicines safely. People were supported to make choices, eat well, stay independent and receive healthcare. Staff were kind, respectful and responsive to people's wishes.
The main problems were with how the home was managed and checked. The provider had not displayed the latest CQC rating on its website. There was also no formal system for checking the overall quality of care, care records or staff records.
The home was rated Good for Safe, Effective, Caring and Responsive. It was rated Requires Improvement for Well-led. Because of the legal breach about displaying the rating, the overall rating was Requires Improvement, although most areas of care remained Good.
Safe care
Inspectors found that risks were assessed and reviewed, staff understood safeguarding procedures, and medicines were managed safely.
“People told us that they felt safe at the home.” from the report
Kind and respectful staff
Staff supported people's dignity, privacy and independence. People were involved in decisions about their care.
“We observed staff interacting with people and saw that staff respected people's privacy and dignity and their independence.” from the report
Choice and nutrition
People helped choose meals and activities. Staff offered alternatives and used equipment to help people eat independently.
“People were involved in choosing what they had to eat each day.” from the report
Good health support
The home worked with GPs, district nurses and hospice services. Healthcare professionals said staff requested visits appropriately.
“Healthcare professionals spoken with told us staff were "Willing to go the extra mile to keep people well” from the report
Approachable management
The provider and manager were visible and people and staff felt able to raise concerns or suggestions with them.
“People told us that the provider and registered manager were visible and approachable.” from the report
Rating not displayed correctly
seriousThe latest CQC rating was displayed at the home but not on the provider's website. The report says this was a breach of legal requirements.
“The provider was not displaying their rating in line with the guidance on their website.” from the report
Weak quality monitoring
needs fixingThere was no formal overall system to monitor the quality of the service, care files, staff files, supervision or appraisals. This made it harder to see whether the service was consistently meeting standards.
“There were not formal processes in place for assessing and monitoring the quality of the service provided.” from the report
Some care plan information missing
needs fixingStaff knew some people's preferences and risks, but not all of this information was recorded in care plans. Temporary staff might therefore not have had the information they needed.
“However not all information about people was recorded in their care plans” from the report
- 01Has the current CQC rating now been displayed on the home's website and at the home?
- 02What formal quality assurance system has been introduced since the inspection?
- 03How are care plans checked to make sure people's preferences, risks and daily support needs are fully recorded?
- 04How do you make sure agency or temporary staff know important information about each person?
- 05How are staff supervision, appraisals and training now monitored?
This was an unannounced inspection of the whole service, covering all five CQC questions and the overall rating. This explanation was written from the published report of 2 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.
Every inspection of St Clare Rest Home
3 rated inspections over 3 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- May 2019Goodcurrent ratingup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- May 2018Requires improvementdown from GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Requires improvement
- January 2016GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- March 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- May 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- December 2010
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 17 December 2010.
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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28 live-in carers within about an hour of West Sussex
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 £1,170 a week. 23 can care for a couple. 11 years' experience on average.
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.