CQC report explained · a residential care home
What the CQC found at Starmount Villa Residential Care Home
Rated Good: inspectors found the home performing well and meeting their expectations.
- Safe?
- Good
- People told inspectors they felt safe. Risk assessments, medicines systems, staffing, recruitment, safety checks and infection control arrangements were in place.
- Effective?
- Good
- People's needs were assessed before moving in and care was provided by trained staff. Meals, healthcare support, the home environment and consent arrangements met people's needs.
- Caring?
- Good
- Inspectors observed kind and respectful care. People and relatives were involved in care planning, and staff supported privacy, dignity, independence and personal choices.
- Responsive?
- Good
- Care plans reflected people's needs and preferences. People were supported to keep relationships, join activities, communicate their wishes and raise concerns.
- Well-led?
- Good
- People, relatives and staff spoke positively about the management and culture. The provider was working on further improvements, including electronic care planning and stronger evidence of management oversight.
What inspectors found, February 2024
Starmount Villa Residential Care Home was rated Good; inspectors found safe, kind and personalised care, with some management systems still being improved.
The inspection was unannounced and took place on 25 January and 14 February 2024. Two inspectors and an Expert by Experience looked at the home, spoke with 9 people, 6 relatives, 5 staff and a visiting health professional, and reviewed records and safety arrangements.
Inspectors found that people were safe and received good care. Staff knew people well, treated them with kindness and respect, and supported their choices, routines, meals, activities and relationships. Medicines, staffing, infection control, care planning and access to health professionals were managed safely.
All five CQC areas were rated Good: Safe, Effective, Caring, Responsive and Well-led. This means inspectors found the service consistently met people's needs at the time of the inspection. The home had also been rated Good at the previous inspection, published in February 2018.
Kind and respectful staff
Inspectors saw caring interactions and people described staff as friendly, patient and supportive.
“We observed kind and caring interactions between staff, people living at the home and family members.” from the report
Personalised care
Care records included people's individual needs, preferences and what mattered to them. Reviews involved people and their families.
“Care records were individualised and included what was important to each person.” from the report
Good staffing and safety
Inspectors found enough staff and said staffing was reviewed as people's needs changed. Recruitment checks and safety systems were in place.
“Sufficient numbers of staff were deployed in the home. Staffing levels were kept under review, so people's routines and changing needs were effectively met.” from the report
Activities and family involvement
People were supported to take part in activities, spend time with visitors and maintain relationships outside the home.
“People were encouraged and supported to maintain relationships with family and friends and take part in activities of their choosing.” from the report
Good health support
Healthcare needs were monitored, with regular GP and nurse practitioner visits. Staff acted promptly when referrals were needed.
“Any referrals for example, to Speech and Language Therapy were completed promptly when staff noticed a change in a person's swallowing ability.” from the report
Management systems still being improved
minorThe provider was refining its monitoring and review systems so that oversight of the service was better evidenced. Plans were also in place to upgrade fire safety and mains electricity systems.
“Management systems, to monitor and review the service, were being refined to better evidence robust oversight of the service.” from the report
- 01What progress has been made with the planned upgrades to the fire safety and mains electricity systems?
- 02How will the new electronic care planning system change the way my relative's care is recorded and reviewed?
- 03How are management checks being strengthened so that oversight of the service is clearly evidenced?
- 04How will you involve my relative and our family in reviewing their personalised care plan?
- 05What activities and outside trips would be suitable for my relative's interests and needs?
This was an unannounced inspection covering all five CQC questions and both the care provided and the care home premises. This explanation was written from the published report of 23 February 2024 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, February 2022
Inspected but not rated; inspectors found strong infection controls during a COVID-19 outbreak, but this was not a full assessment of the home.
This was an announced, targeted inspection on 28 January 2022. It focused on infection prevention and control during a COVID-19 outbreak, and also asked about staffing pressures.
Inspectors found that the home was clean and well maintained. Visitors were screened, staff had access to personal protective equipment, and people and staff were tested and vaccinated. The home had arrangements for safer visiting, although some visits were paused during the outbreak.
The home was marked ‘Inspected but not rated’. This means the inspection checked infection control practices but did not give an overall quality rating or a full rating across all five areas of care.
Clean surroundings
The home was described as clean, well maintained and free from smells. Extra cleaning focused on frequently touched areas.
“The care home was clean, well maintained and odour-free.” from the report
Visitor screening
Essential visitors were checked through temperature checks, lateral flow test evidence and vaccination checks for visiting professionals.
“A robust screening process was in place for all essential visitors to the home.” from the report
Protective equipment and testing
Staff had supplies of protective equipment and training in its use. People and staff had regular COVID-19 testing and had received vaccinations.
“Staff had access to supplies of PPE and had received training to ensure they used this correctly.” from the report
External advice
The manager sought advice from health protection services and the CQC and was open to the guidance offered.
“The registered manager sought support and advice from external agencies including the local health protection team and CQC” from the report
Some visits were paused
minorSome visits had been paused because of a recent outbreak. The report does not say when normal visiting would resume.
“At the time of our inspection the home had paused some visits due to a recent outbreak.” from the report
- 01Has the outbreak ended, and are visits now taking place as usual?
- 02What checks are currently made for visitors, including testing, temperature and vaccination status?
- 03How often are residents and staff tested for COVID-19, and what happens if someone tests positive?
- 04How do you keep the infection prevention and control policy up to date?
- 05Were staffing pressures affecting care during the inspection, and what is the current staffing position?
This was a targeted inspection of infection prevention and control, with questions about staffing pressures; it was not a full inspection and the service was not rated. This explanation was written from the published report of 10 February 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 Starmount Villa Residential Care Home
3 rated inspections over 9 years: the service has held its Good rating throughout.
- February 2024Goodcurrent ratingSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
Read what inspectors found at Starmount Villa Residential Care Home →
- February 2022Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
Read what inspectors found at Starmount Villa Residential Care Home →
- November 2020Inspected but not ratedSafe: Inspected but not rated
- February 2018Goodstayed GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- July 2015GoodSafe: GoodEffective: GoodCaring: GoodResponsive: GoodWell-led: Good
- December 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- February 2013
Report published without a new overall rating.
- March 2012
Report published without a new overall rating.
- January 2011
Registered with the Care Quality Commission on 14 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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