CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at St Georges Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- Inspectors found enough staff, safe recruitment, suitable risk assessments, safe medicines practice and effective infection control. People said they felt safe and staff responded promptly to call bells.
- Effective?
- Good
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Caring?
- Outstanding
- This key question was not inspected during this focused visit. Its previous rating was used to calculate the overall rating.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Inspectors found that care was based on people's needs, wishes and routines. People had choices, activities, social opportunities and ways to complain.
- Well-led?
- Good
- The manager and provider had systems to monitor quality and make improvements. People and staff felt able to speak openly and staff worked with other professionals.
What inspectors found, May 2023
St Georges Care Home is rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, but the overall rating fell from Outstanding.
This was an unannounced, focused inspection on 12 April 2023. One inspector spoke with seven people living in the home and six staff. They observed care and checked care plans, medicines records, staff files, audits and safety records.
People told inspectors they felt safe and well cared for. There were enough staff, medicines were handled safely, infection control was effective and risks were assessed. Care plans recorded people's needs, wishes and routines. People could choose how to spend their time and take part in activities or trips.
The home was described as open and well managed. People and staff said they could raise concerns, and the provider used audits and incidents to make improvements. The overall rating was Good, but it changed from Outstanding because this inspection found a lower rating in the areas looked at.
People felt safe
People told inspectors they felt safe and well cared for. Staff had training on recognising and reporting abuse, and risks were assessed.
“I feel safe and well looked after.” from the report
Enough staff
Inspectors found sufficient staff to meet people's needs. Staff were available and call bells were within reach.
“People were supported by sufficient numbers of staff to meet their needs.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans included personal information, preferences and routines. People could choose when to get up, what to do and how to spend their day.
“Each person had a detailed care plan which gave information about them as a person and their wishes and preferences, as well as their needs.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People could follow their own interests, see visitors, join daily activities and go on trips. The home also supported friendships and contact with family.
“There were organised activities every day.” from the report
Open management
People and staff said the manager was approachable and listened to concerns. Audits, incidents and feedback were used to improve care.
“The registered manager was open and approachable.” from the report
Lower rating than before
minorThe overall rating fell from Outstanding to Good. The report does not identify a single serious failing, but families may want to understand what led to the change.
“The overall rating for the service has changed from outstanding to good based on the findings of this inspection.” from the report
- 01The overall rating fell from Outstanding to Good. What changes or shortfalls led to this change?
- 02How do you make sure there are enough staff when you have experienced difficulties recruiting locally?
- 03How are each person's routines, preferences and communication needs kept up to date in their care plan?
- 04How do you check that medicines, including as-required medicines, are given safely and reviewed when people's needs change?
- 05How are concerns raised at residents' meetings or through complaints followed up and shared with families?
This was an unannounced focused inspection of Safe, Responsive and Well-led only; Effective and Caring were not inspected and their previous ratings were carried forward. This explanation was written from the published report of 11 May 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, November 2018
St Georges Care Home was rated Outstanding overall, with exceptionally kind and personalised care and good ratings for safety, effectiveness and leadership.
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection on 16 and 17 October 2018. One inspector spoke with nine people living at the home, two visitors, six staff and a visiting healthcare professional. The inspector also observed care, checked the building and reviewed care plans, medicines records, complaints and quality checks.
The home was rated Outstanding overall. Caring and Responsive improved from Good to Outstanding. Safe, Effective and Well-led remained Good. Inspectors found enough staff, safe medicines practice, clean premises, personalised care, strong relationships and a wide range of activities.
The home had improved since the previous inspection. Changes included refurbishment, higher staffing levels, a new call bell system, electronic care plans and better technology for entertainment and communication. One area still needed attention because some care plans did not clearly record mental capacity assessments or best-interests decisions.
Kind and compassionate staff
Staff showed warmth, respect and compassion throughout the inspection. Inspectors found that staff often did more than expected to support people's wellbeing.
“People could be confident that they would always be treated with kindness and compassion.” from the report
Personalised care
Care plans included people's histories, preferences, culture and routines. Staff knew people well and supported them to remain independent.
“People received care and support which was personal to them, supported them to be independent and respected their wishes and choices.” from the report
Activities and relationships
People could choose group activities or individual interests. Staff supported trips out, technology use, contact with relatives and community involvement.
“The staff placed a high emphasis on providing activities and meaningful occupation for people.” from the report
Safe staffing and medicines
Inspectors found enough staff to meet people's needs. Medicines were administered by trained and assessed staff, with records kept when medicines were given or refused.
“There were adequate numbers of staff to keep people safe and to meet their needs.” from the report
Ongoing improvements
The provider had improved the building, call bell system, care planning and entertainment technology since the previous inspection.
“The provider and registered manager effectively monitored the quality of care and made on-going improvements.” from the report
Mental capacity records
needs fixingSome care plans did not clearly record whether a person had capacity to make a decision or who had contributed to a best-interests decision. The manager understood the legal principles and said they were applied when needed.
“Care plans did not always show that people's capacity to make a decision had been assessed or who had been involved in making a best interests decision.” from the report
- 01How do you now record mental capacity assessments and best-interests decisions in care plans?
- 02What are the current staffing levels, and how do you make sure staff have time to socialise with residents as well as provide physical care?
- 03Can you show us how call bell response times are monitored and what happens if responses are delayed?
- 04Has the planned specialist equipment for end-of-life care been purchased, and how would it support someone whose needs change quickly?
- 05How are residents and relatives involved when care plans, menus or daily routines need to change?
This was an unannounced comprehensive inspection covering all five key questions, with the ratings for Caring and Responsive improved from Good to Outstanding while the other ratings remained Good. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 November 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 Georges Care Home
5 rated inspections over 8 years: the service has improved, from Requires improvement to Good.
- May 2023Goodcurrent ratingdown from OutstandingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: OutstandingResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- November 2018Outstandingup from GoodSafe: GoodResponsive: OutstandingWell-led: Good
- May 2016Goodup from Requires improvementSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- June 2015Requires improvementstayed Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementResponsive: Requires improvement
- January 2015Requires improvementSafe: Requires improvementEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: Requires improvementWell-led: Requires improvement
- May 2014
Report published without a new overall rating.
- July 2013
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 3 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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